Feel This Moment
by DE92
Summary: Sequel to Crying Lightning - A series of one-shots flashing into moments of Damon and Elena's lives together since the ending of Crying Lightning. Happy, sad, tough and random times shared together and with family and friends. Mostly fluff. AH DE.
1. Chapter 1

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**Hi everyone! This is the first chapter of my oneshot series sequel to Crying Lightning, so if you haven't read that already please do :) I guess it could hold it's own a little though without reading that one, but there will be moments where things are referred back and this version of Damon and Elena are built up from what happened in Crying Lightning.**

**Throughout this story I will be switching it up with the narration, so unlike in the previous story, each chapter won't just be in 1st POV. **

**Originally, this was supposed to be the second chapter in this sequel but I decided last minute to swap it around and make it the first!**

**Just a little background on this chapter: This one shot is set during their Sophomore year at college. Also, the character Will is the same Will that was Damon's old friend from Chicago, he is also in New York for college. **

**Hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

He was drunk.

No, that's a lie.

He was completely and utterly paralytic, absolutely _wasted_.

Yesterday was his 21st birthday, and his friends wanted to make sure that he started his legal drinking age in the messiest way possible.

Damon was a good boyfriend though, and he managed to delay their plans and antics until 24 hours later, insisting that he wanted to spend his birthday with Elena and Elena only.

So he did, the two of them spent the whole day together before she took him out for a fancy meal on the evening, insisting on paying for everything, despite his many protests and they ended the night in a dive bar near his campus where he paid off the barman to serve Elena alcohol since she was still only 19. They had a couple of beers and played pool and darts, Elena kicking his ass at the first, but barely knowing how to play the second and he particularly enjoyed wrapping his arms around her and touching her while he taught her the correct way to throw a dart.

They went back to his dorm room, Damon had already made sure that his roommate would be gone for the night so they had the place to themselves and they made love until the sun came up.

Tonight however, was a different story.

His two best buddies in New York, Will and Bryan, had insisted that there shouldn't be a moment when he didn't have a drink in his hand, so the three of them, along with some other friends and half of the baseball team, hit the city the second the sun went down, and he hadn't had an empty glass in his hand since.

He pulled out his cell phone to try and read the latest text from Elena, but his eyes were unfocussed and his damn phone had a fucking blurry screen.

How is he supposed to read anything on here if his phone was playing tricks on him?

He glanced at his watch and it took him a few moments to read that it was almost 3am, and he wondered for a moment what Elena was doing awake until he remembered she was going to a party of one of her friends from her Literature class.

He groaned and hit his head back against the leather walls behind him in the club he was in, his frustration getting the better of him and it took all what was left of the tiny sensible sober part of his brain to not throw his iPhone across the room.

"Damon!" what he _thinks_ is Will, jumps in front of him, two shot glasses in his hands and immediately pushes one into his own hand. "Drink up buddy!"

He doesn't want too, he knows he's reached his limit, but it's his birthday and he knows he will never hear the end of it from the boys if he declines even _one_ drink.

A guy from the baseball team drunkenly stumbles over throws his arm around Damon's shoulder and pulls him over to a booth where some of his other buddies are sat, a flock of hot girls surrounding them.

"Ladies, meet the birthday boy!" someone, he doesn't know who, pushes him down into the booth and immediately he has random girls hugging him and wishing him a happy birthday but all he can think of is how none of them smell like Elena.

He just wants Elena.

He blinks a few times and feels a weight on his thighs and when he feels something wet touch his neck his eyes open wide for a moment when he realizes there is a blonde girl straddling him on his lap and she is kissing his neck.

"No…no." he shakes his head furiously and pushes her off him, not caring that by doing so she knocks down some drinks on the table and they spill over everywhere. "No."

"Damon what's the problem? It's your birthday! You're 21!" he thinks it's Daryl that is currently trying to push him back into the booth with all the slutty girls but he can't be sure, the strobe lights in the club are confusing him. "This is my present to you, buddy! She's hot right? And she's totally into you!" he feels a hand gripping on his shoulder and before he knows it he's back to sitting down and there is a pair of skinny arms wrapped around his neck and trying to unbutton his denim blue shirt.

"No." he shakes his heavy head furiously as he tries to stand back up but his legs are like jelly.

"Dude stop it!" he recognizes Will's voice immediately. "The guy's got a girlfriend." another grip is on his arm and he is suddenly back on his unsteady feet, but he feels better because the bony arms from around his neck have gone.

"So?" some jackass comments and he wishes he knew who it was so he could punch him in the face.

So? What the fuck does he mean by _so_? Has he not met _Elena_?

"So, back off and stop throwing girls at him! He's not interested!"

He feels someone tugging on his arm and before he knows it he's outside, the cold New York November breeze immediately attacks his cheeks but he's thankful for the fresh air and he immediately feels better because of it.

"I thought you could do with the fresh air." Will pats him on the back and he nods his head thankfully and pulls his phone back from his pocket.

"I need to call Elena." He mutters drunkenly, not even sure if it came out correctly but he presses his phone clumsily against his ear and waits for his girl to answer.

"Hello?" her voice is loud, and he can hear background music and it makes him confused. "Damon?" she calls out again when he doesn't immediately reply.

"Elena?"

"Yeah baby, two seconds, ok?" he waits patiently as he leans back against the wall, knowing that without it he'd be on the floor and soon that perfect voice is back in his ear. "Hey sorry, it was loud in there."

"Mhm…" he mumbles wistfully, feeling content to just hear her voice.

"Damon?" Elena smiles amused into the phone. "Are you ok baby?" she remembers his texts throughout the night, how each one he sent got messier and the letters got muddled up making them make less sense the later the night went on.

"I am now." He grunts deeply. "I want _you_, Elena! I want you so much right now." He turns on his feet and leans his forehead against the cool brick walls, he can smell smoke and he turns his head slightly, his forehead still touching the bricks, and he sees Will standing a few feet away from him with a cigarette in his mouth and a smirk on his face as he listens in to the conversation.

But he doesn't care.

He just wants Elena.

"How much have you had to drink, Damon?" she chuckles into the phone softly and he swears it's the best sound he's ever heard in his life.

Well, the _second_ best sound.

He wants to hear the _first_ tonight.

"Doesn't…that doesn't matter, Lena." He stumbles on his words. "I don't think you understand, I _want_ you. I want you right now, you make me so horny baby…just thinking about you right now…" he groans and presses his fist against the wall. "I want you."

"I want you too, Damon." Her voice is no longer laced with amusement, but it's shaky and husky and no matter how much he has had to drink, he would recognize what that tone in her voice would mean anywhere.

"And I don't want those other stupid girls…" he slurs not even thinking about what he's saying.

There is a pause in the conversation before Elena speaks up again. "What girls, Damon?"

"Stupid slutty ugly girls," he grunts in annoyance. "Who don't smell like you."

"Pass me the phone, Damon." Will is immediately in his face but he shakes his head and pulls his phone away from his ear to stop Will from grabbing it.

"No…no…go away Will, I want Elena!"

"Damon!" Will mutters in annoyance and before he knows it the phone is slipping out of his hand and into Will's.

"Hey Elena," he speaks sweetly into the phone and he tries to grab his phone back but Will immediately slaps his hands away and he's left wondering what the hell his beautiful girl is talking about. "He did say that yes…no…listen, it's nothing, just someone from the team trying to be an asshole, but don't worry about it, Damon loves you, it's quite clear that he only _wants you_." Will smirks and he glares at the teasing tone in his voice.

"Okay, I'll put him back on." Will smiles and hands him back the phone, which he snatches back with a glare.

"Lena, baby!"

"Damon," he can hear the amusement back in her voice. "Get in a cab and come meet me, I'll text you the address." She hangs up before he can say anything else and he grins at Will happily and slaps him on the back.

"I am off to get laid." he grins in triumph and Will chuckles and hails a cab for him.

"Yeah, good luck with that one buddy!" Will sounds amused but he doesn't care, he stumbles into the cab, drunkenly reading out the address Elena just text him and the taxi driver mutters something about him better not throwing up back there.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knows the door of the cab is being opened and Elena is stood there with an amused smile on her face, dressed in dark tight skinny jeans and a sexy red flowing top that shows off her cleavage _perfectly_.

He can't help but moan when Elena leans down into the cab and her hands slide into his pockets and he tries to pull her into him, forgetting that he's practically hanging out the door in the back of a taxi, and she giggles and pushes him away as he attempts to kiss her, one of his hands landing on her ass. She pulls out his wallet from his pocket and he grunts in annoyance when he realizes she wasn't actually trying to feel him up.

She pays the taxi driver before pulling him onto the sidewalk, the cab pulling back off into the road and she smirks before sliding his wallet back into his pocket, this time her fingers graze his throbbing member slowly and he knows immediately, despite the state that he's in, that this time it was purely intentional.

"Look at the state of you." Elena giggles and wraps her arms around his waist as he leans his head down to rest onto her shoulder, his weight leaning on her slightly but not enough to crush her or to make her fall. "You absolutely _reek_ of booze, Damon!"

"Mhm." he mumbles into her bare shoulder drunkenly, kissing her skin slowly with wet sloppy kisses. "Elena?" he lifts his head back up and makes sure his focus is on her.

Elena reaches her hand up and pushes some hair that has fallen onto his forehead back out of his face. "Hm?"

"Where are we?" he asks confused and she giggles and pulls back, one of her arms staying wrapped around his waist.

"Kim's party, remember?" she starts walking and they go inside a building and he's thankful to see an elevator because he doesn't think his legs could handle flights of stairs.

They reach the apartment the party is going on, after a quick make out session in the ride up _of course_. He can hear the music immediately and when Elena pushes open the door it gets even louder.

"Elena! There you are! We wondered where you went!" A girl he doesn't recognize or at least, he doesn't think he recognizes skips over to them, a red plastic cup in her hands.

Oh he loves a stereotype.

"Sorry," Elena's hand runs slowly up and down his side, his shirt lifting up slightly as her fingers graze his skin underneath it. "I found this drunken straggler outside in the street and thought he was hot so I seduced him." She giggles and wipes her thumb against his lips and he frowns confused but when she pulls her hand away he sees the red on her thumb and realizes he must have her lipstick all over his lips.

Oh well.

The girl looks shocked for a moment and looks between them confused before glancing back at Elena worriedly. "Elena…"

"Relax Kate." Elena immediately grins and shakes her head. "I'm just kidding; this is _Damon_, my boyfriend."

Damon watches as a look of realization crosses the girls face but he still doesn't really understand what's going on. His mind is a fuzzy drunken mess and all he can concentrate on is Elena Gilbert.

Jade, or Kate, or whatever the hell she was called soon disappears and Elena pulls him further into the party, introducing him to people he's never met before and greeting people he already has.

He falls back onto a couch behind him, and smiles when Elena bends down in front of him, her hands on either side of his cheeks, her thumbs pressed into his cheekbones. "Stay right here, ok baby?" she leans forward and kisses him slowly on the mouth and he tries to deepen it but she pulls away with a grin. "I'll be right back!" she's gone before he can even blink and he grunts in annoyance and attempts to straighten himself up.

He looks around the crowded room, surprised by the size of the apartment in this side of town but he wouldn't dare say anything about it.

Most of the faces are unfamiliar, and he doesn't really recognize anyone in his drunken haze, and he wonders just how many of these people Elena actually knows too.

He leans forward slightly when he does spot someone recognizable though. "Charlotte!" he shouts across the room, the loud music thumping in his ears so he doesn't even know if he's being loud enough. "Charlotte!" he waves his hand clumsily when she turns her head to face him and he watches amused as a blush immediately crosses her cheeks as he waves her over.

Charlotte is Elena's roommate, and has been since freshman year when Elena first moved into her dormitory. She's had a crush on him since the moment she opened the door to him hours after moving in, he was looking for Elena after he'd been to his own dorm in NYU's campus across the city unpacking and when she answered the door to him, she stuttered and stumbled over her words like a thirteen year old girl.

Elena knew all about it, of course, but she didn't mind, she knew it was completely innocent and Charlotte just wasn't that kind of girl to even think about trying anything. She was sweet and innocent, and shy, and it wasn't until after winter break last year when she started to really come out of her shell and her and Elena became real friends, which is why they decided to live together again in their sophomore year, alongside Annie, who was a friend Elena had made from her classes.

They were no Bonnie and Caroline, but they were good enough for his girl, he decided.

"Damon?" she approaches him confused but with a smile and takes a seat beside him on the couch. "What are you doing here?" she says loudly over the music. "Does Elena know you're here?"

He nods his heavy head in confirmation and mumbles out some words that not even he understands.

"Oh god, you are so drunk!" she giggles at him in amusement. "I'm guessing you had a good birthday with your friends?"

Again, he nods his head, words stumbling out of his mouth that he doesn't even know if they form a sentence.

"They didn't smell like her." He mumbles out with slurring words.

"What?" Charlotte looks at him confused, laughter in her voice and in her eyes. "Who didn't?"

"I needed to get Lena." He tells her like it's the most important thing in the world, and right now, it is. "I need Lena, because she's my girlfriend, and she's the best."

"Ok, Damon." She smiles amused and pats his shoulder. "Do you want me to go find her for you?" she goes to stand up but he immediately grabs onto her arm.

"No, no." he shakes his head. "You can't leave me here, I don't know…these people…their…" he looks around and motions for her to come closer and he whispers into her ear. "They're _strangers_."

Charlotte laughs and pulls back. "They're just people at a party, Damon."

"Well…" he sighs loudly trying to find his words. "They're not, Elena."

"No." Charlotte shakes her head in agreement but then nods her head. "But _that_ is."

He focusses his blurry gaze on a figure approaching him and he smiles when he realizes who it is. "You're back!"

Elena bends back down in front of him and pushes a red cup into his hands. "Drink this baby, you need it."

He takes a sip and feels Elena slide next to him on his other side on the couch and he grimaces when he realizes that it's just water.

"Yuck," he shakes his head and tries to pass it back to her but she pushes it back into his hands.

"Drink it." She tells him firmly and he can only comply.

"I'm gonna leave you both too it." Charlotte smiles and stands up but Damon immediately grabs onto her arm and pulls her back down onto the couch again beside him.

He swears he hears Elena apologize to her on his behalf but he doesn't listen. "Wait, wait, Charlotte, I need to tell you something." He focusses his gaze on her as she shuffles on the couch to face him, watching him amused.

He wraps his arm around Elena and pulls her onto his lap, using what little strength he has left. Elena luckily complies and wraps her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the bottom of his hair lazily.

"Charlotte…" he trails like he's about to tell a story and Elena giggles into his ear in amusement already and he knows that she's a little on the drunk side too, nowhere near as bad as he is, but still. "I _know_." he raises his eyebrows at her.

"Know what?" Charlotte replies confused.

"That you have a crush on me." He says almost proudly and Elena immediately groans loudly.

"Oh _god_, Damon, don't do this please!" she reaches her hand down and covers his mouth with her hand.

He fails to notice the mortified look on Charlotte's face and the way her cheeks are heating up like a tomato.

"No, no." he pushes Elena's hand from his mouth and continues. "I get it girl, I'm _hot_. But, I'm also a taken man." He points at Elena. "I'm _hers_, and I know that sucks for you, and I am sorry about that, _but_, maybe someday, if Elena kicks me out on my ass." He frowns slightly and stops to look at her. "Please don't do that." He pouts sadly.

Elena rolls her eyes but smiles anyway. "I won't."

"Right." he turns back to the other girl. "_Maybe_ then I'll take you out on a date." He finishes and looks at Charlotte with a proud grin.

"Charlotte, I am _so_ sorry!" Elena apologizes immediately, despite being drunk herself, she isn't totally gone enough like Damon is to miss the mortified and embarrassed look on her roommates face.

Charlotte however just laughs nervously and shakes her head, trying to hide her blushes. "It's fine." She stands up, and this time he lets her. "I'll see you both later," she shakes her head with a smile before wondering back off over to the people she left across the room.

"Damon!" Elena punches him in the arm and he immediately groans loudly at the pain.

"Oy! What the hell was that for?"

"I can't believe you just did that! You embarrassed the poor girl." She shakes her head in disbelief but he doesn't miss the amusement in her eyes.

"I was being nice." He pouts. "You always tell me off for not being nice enough to people, so when I do try and be nice…you…you hit me!"

"There's a difference between being nice and being a total douche." She shakes her head at him before lifting over her right leg so she is now straddling him on the couch. "You're lucky that I love you, even when you are a drunken stumbling mess."

He can't help but grin at that. "Well, I love you more, so…"

"Ssh, you don't." she runs her fingers down his chest before unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt and he immediately slides a hand underneath her top, his hand landing firmly on her right breast and he squeezes it tightly, watching as she closes her eyes and moans with a small gaping hole between her lips.

He doesn't care that they are in a crowded party, and from the way she just grinded on his thigh, he is pretty sure she doesn't either.

Elena immediately attaches her mouth against his in a searing kiss that he returns just as fiercely, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth as they kiss each other hungrily.

"Damon," she pulls away from him, a devilish grin on her lips as she leans her forehead against his. "Kim has a spare bedroom down the hall…"

I smirk and nod my head as she climbs off of me and she helps me up. We barely make it to the bedroom door before she's trying to rip my clothes off, and she immediately slams me into the door the second she closes it behind us.

"I still have one more birthday present for you." She smirks at me wickedly and I gasp as she slides out of her jeans and my eyes widen when I see the suspenders she is wearing, soon her top is off too and I squint and lick my lips when I see her matching bra, the whole thing part of a set.

My erection is throbbing, and I may be the drunkest I've been in a long time, but there is no way in hell that I am holding back tonight.

* * *

"Oh god." Damon groans in pain as he tries to open his eyes but the brightness immediately makes him close them again, it's too much.

He grunts in pain as he tries to collect his bearings and he slowly forces his eyes open, the light of the room immediately stinging his irises and it takes him everything not to close them again.

His head is throbbing, pounding hard against his skull and he tries to remember what the hell happened last night.

He frowns confused when he sees the unfamiliar dark wallpaper on the wall across from him as he lies on his side.

This is _not_ his bedroom.

A sickness feeling that has nothing to do with his hangover hits the pit of his stomach and that's when he feels it.

There's an arm wrapped around his waist.

What he is pretty sure is his _naked_ waist.

"No, no, no." he starts to panic. "_No_."

This is not happening.

This cannot be happening!

It's over.

His entire life is over.

"Mmm…" he feels lips press against his back between his shoulder blades and he's about to leap out of bed like lightening but the voice that comes next stops him in his tracks before he moves. "Morning handsome," He'd recognize that tired early morning tone anywhere. "How are _you_ feeling this morning?"

"So much better now," he feels his entire body relax and he rolls over to see a naked Elena lying beside him, her eye makeup smudged and her hair a tangled mess.

She looks beautiful.

Wait.

How the hell did he end up with Elena last night?

She leans forward and kisses him softly on the lips before pulling away with a lazy smile on her lips.

"Elena?" he questions with squinted eyes after a few moments of silence, his fingers lightly trailing over her hip bone.

"Mhm?" she sighs tiredly.

"Where the hell are we?"

She giggles loudly and rolls on top of him, her eyes glistening in amusement, her smile wide.

"Oh I _love_ you Damon Salvatore."

* * *

**So? What did you think? Please review and let me know, I'd love to see your thoughts and feedback about the first chapter of this! I want it to be a success :)**

**Thanks for reading and coming along this journey with me!**

**Until next time :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**Someone asked me if I'd be writing chapters about their time travelling: The answer is _Yes_, I will be, but not just yet :) **

**I wasn't going to post this chapter until tomorrow but all your reviews for the first chapter were amazing and made me smile so I thought I'd give you something back in return to say thank you!**

**This chapter is set a little more in the future than the last.**

** Enjoy :)**

* * *

Elena wipes her mouth as she leans back against the cold bathroom wall and exhales shakily, her bare feet stuck to the tiles below her as she takes a deep breath.

She pulls herself up to her feet and flushes the toilet before walking out of the en-suite bathroom into her bedroom, sighing when she sees the half packed large sports bag on her bed, The University of Virginia's Cavaliers logo stitched on.

She exhales and runs her fingers through her hair nervously as she walks towards the bag and lifts out one of Damon's t-shirts, bringing it to her nose and inhaling his unique scent with a sigh.

She places the top back inside the bag and finishes packing it, making sure that all his essentials are there, she knows he has a habit of forgetting things.

Before she realizes it, she's crying and she hates herself for it because the last thing she wants to be right now is an emotional wreck. She's stronger than this.

She looks down at her wedding ring that is still glistening on her ring finger and she twirls it around, her large engagement ring shining beside it and she smiles.

She hears the thudding of the stairs and immediately wipes at her eyes, zipping up Damon's bag and turning around just as he walks into the room.

"Elena," he smiles confused and approaches her, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist. "What are you doing here?" he turns his head to look over at the clock beside their bed to see that it's past lunch time, meaning that Elena should be at work.

"I didn't feel well so I came home."

"What? What's wrong?" he places his hand on her cheek and looks at her concerned.

"Just a sickness bug." She shakes her head and steps back, her hand taking his hand in hers, looping their fingers together. "I'm sure it's just a 24 hour thing."

"Are you sure?" he twirls some of her hair around in his fingers with his other hand. "If you want, I can call in sick and stay home with you?" he asks her softly but she immediately shakes her head.

"No, no, you need to go; you can't let the team down. I'll be fine, besides, Caroline is in town so she was coming over for a girls night tonight with Bonnie anyway."

"I feel bad leaving you when you're sick."

"Damon," she smiles at him reassuringly. "I'll be fine, I'll just take it easy this afternoon, ok?"

"Ok, if you're sure." He sighs and kisses her forehead before looking over her shoulder. "Lena, you didn't have to pack for me."

She shrugs with a smile. "I know you always end up forgetting something when you do it on your own."

Damon chuckles and nods his head in agreement before picking up the bag. "Thanks baby, I was running late too, I gotta leave to drive back to Charlottesville in like" he glances down at his watch "…10 minutes ago." He mutters hurriedly.

Damon is an assistant coach for the University of Virginia's baseball team and part of the job, of course, is attending away games, which means that during the season, he spends some time travelling.

This time they are playing East Carolina University, so he'll be travelling to Greenville, North Carolina for two days.

"Ok, do you want me to make you lunch for the road?" she offers but Damon just shakes his head and kisses her softly on the lips.

"Thanks babe but I'll grab something on the way." He runs his hand down her arm before quickly finding his jacket and swinging it over his shoulders, pulling his Cavaliers cap onto his head and swinging his bag over his shoulders. "Right, I _really_ gotta go now. I love you, and feel better soon." He kisses her quickly on the lips.

"I love you too, call me when you get there, ok?" she calls after him as he jogs down the stairs and watches him open the front door from her place at the stop of the stairwell.

"Will do baby, see ya!" he slams the door behind him and she lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She leans back against the wall behind her and closes her eyes, the sickness feeling creeping back into her stomach and she sprints back towards the bathroom again.

* * *

"Elena, you have barely touched your wine!" Caroline watches her as she refills her own glass, before reaching across the coffee table to refill Bonnie's. "Are you ok? You've been quiet all night."

"I'm fine," she leans down and places her untouched glass of wine on the table.

"Elena," Bonnie looks at her concerned before standing up and coming to sit next to her. "We're your best friends, you can talk to us."

She sighs and watches as Caroline sits on her other side and she takes a deep breath before running her hand through her hair nervously. "I think I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Caroline shrieks, a wide smile crossing her lips. "Elena!"

She forces a smile and looks down unsurely, saying it out loud for the first time makes it sound so much more real and she hates that it isn't Damon she is saying this too but she couldn't keep this to herself for another two days.

"This is amazing!" Caroline smiles, not catching the look on her face, Bonnie however, is much more observant.

"You don't seem happy, Lena? I thought you wanted a family with Damon?" she asks gently.

"I do," I sigh twirling my wedding ring around my finger.

"Then what's the problem?" Caroline asks confused. "You guys are married, you have this beautiful house, and you both have jobs and are settled down."

"It's just…we've only been married a year, and it took me _months_ to convince Damon to leave New York to move back to Mystic Falls. He still wants to travel some more, and I'm afraid that when he finds out I might be pregnant he'll feel trapped." She admits guiltily.

Her and Damon have spoken about children before, of course they have, and they both want some, but Damon just got a new job and they've only really just gotten settled in Mystic Falls again after moving back in September a few months back.

She's 25 years old, and Damon 27, and they've been together for eight years now. They both have jobs, she is an English teacher at Mystic Falls High and she is loving every second of it, she's been writing a novel for the past four years, and although she wanted to take it as a career path once she graduated from college, life didn't work out that way and now she's glad, because she really enjoys teaching.

They've seen most of the world, or at least, the places they always dreamed about seeing.

They spent two months in Australia, with a brief visit to New Zealand after they graduated from college, where they then made the decision together to stay in New York permanently, there was a lot more prospects there and Elena felt most inspired in that city when it came to her writing and Damon really enjoyed the fast paced lifestyle.

Throughout the years they had revisited Europe, went to Thailand, China, Japan and India. They spent a week in Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break with all their friends from college in their junior and senior years. Damon took her to Paris again for her 19th birthday, Bora Bora for her 20th and they went to Las Vegas for her 21st with Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Stefan.

While living in New York, they had still managed to see a lot of the world and she'd never felt happier.

But after living in the big city for three years after college was over with, Elena started to feel homesick and started to miss Mystic Falls. Jenna and Alaric had a baby, and she missed the birth of their beautiful daughter Alice, then she fell pregnant and after giving birth to their son Joseph, Elena realized that she was missing out on watching her family grow.

So when they came back to Mystic Falls for Jeremy's and Bonnie's wedding last May, Elena broke down to Damon and told him her newest thoughts and feelings.

She wanted to go home.

He insisted that she was just overwhelmed, with the birth of Joseph, Alice growing bigger every day and Jeremy getting married, but after going back to New York and Damon sensing that Elena no longer felt happy living there anymore, he gave in and they moved back to Mystic Falls.

Damon was lucky to get a job at The University of Virginia as an assistant coach for the baseball team, and although he has to do over an hour's drive four days of the week to get to work, he doesn't regret it.

Elena soon found herself working at Mystic Falls High School as the new English teacher, and it helped her relationship with Isobel working alongside her. They still weren't close, and Elena still didn't feel that mother/daughter bond that she felt with Miranda, but she could say that they were friends and they had kept in constant contact throughout the years. Isobel had even come up to New York to visit them one time, Damon was _thrilled_ about that of course.

"Elena," Bonnie snaps her out of her thoughts. "That's crazy, Damon is crazy about you, he always has been and he always will be. I know that he wants nothing more than to start a family with you."

"I'm just scared, Bon, we said after we got married that we'd wait a couple of years, once we were settled properly and that was said before we even moved back here and unsettled our lives again."

"So? It's been a year, and besides, even if it hadn't, you and Damon _are_ settled, Elena. You are both in love and committed, that's all it takes to make a beautiful environment for a child." Caroline tells her seriously. "You should know that."

Caroline is right, and she feels bad for even doubting Damon's reaction, but he has never expressed an interest in starting a family just yet. In fact, just the other day he was saying that they should spend the next summer travelling again, maybe going to South Africa or to Egypt or Dubai.

She can't do that if she's pregnant.

"I do know that." She agrees and a smile creeps onto her lips as her hand lands on her stomach. "There may be someone growing inside of me right now, it's such a weird feeling."

"Have you taken a test yet?" Bonnie asks curiously and she shakes her head.

"No, but I bought one today after I got sent home from work. I haven't taken it yet though, I've been too scared to find out for sure."

"Maybe you should do it now? That way you'll know for when Damon gets back." Caroline suggests with a hint of impatience and excitement in her tone.

"No, no." she shakes her head. "This is something I need to do with Damon."

"So you're really going to wait two more days before knowing for sure whether or not there is a little Salvatore growing in that oven?" Caroline asks in disbelief, a pout on her lips.

"Sorry Care." She smiles genuinely.

* * *

The next two days drag by slowly, and she distracts herself by spending time with Jenna and her kids since she is still too sick to go back to work.

She decides to wait until she knows for sure before telling Jenna her suspicions about being pregnant. She doesn't want too many people to know about it before Damon does.

"So, when does the hubby get back?" Jenna asks while feeding two year old Alice who is sat in her high chair, a mess around her mouth as she attempts to steal the spoon from Jenna's fingers.

"Mine!" she wails and Jenna smiles before giving up and handing her the spoon, watching amused as the little girl starts to mash up her food in glee.

"Tonight." She smiles happily. "I can't wait."

And it's true, despite how nervous she has been about telling Damon her news, he's still Damon and she still misses him every second she's not around him.

Nothing will ever change that.

"You miss him." Jenna states simply with a sad smile and she nods her head in confirmation.

"I know that it's part of his job, and he really enjoys it, and it's selfish of me to wish that he never has to travel to away games, because really, there aren't even _that_ many of them most of the time, but when he does go, I feel so miserable and lonely."

"That's not selfish, Elena." Jenna tells her reassuringly. "That's the way it's supposed to be when your husband is out of town. I remember when Alaric chaperoned a skiing trip to Utah a couple of years back, he was only gone for a week but it felt like _months_ and I practically begged him to not volunteer to go on those school trips again, it was quite pathetic really." She laughs thinking back.

"Yeah but weren't you pregnant with Alice at the time?" Elena smiles and Jenna shrugs and nods her head.

"Yeah but I'm sure even without those hormones I would have been the same."

Elena smiles and then wonders what she'll be like when she's heavily pregnant and Damon is away for a couple of days with the team, she wonders if she'll be an emotional mess like Jenna was or if she'll be glad of the peace and quiet, because if there is one thing she knows for sure about Damon, is that he can be very overprotective, so she can't even imagine what he'll be like with her when she's carrying his child.

She goes home and orders a takeout that night, craving Chinese food and knowing that she doesn't want to cook a meal for one.

She orders extra just in case Damon is hungry when he gets back, and she looks down at her watch once she's finished, seeing that it's almost 10pm and that Damon isn't due back for another two hours yet.

She normally likes to wait up for him, even though Damon insists that she should just go to sleep, but she can never sleep well when his strong muscular arms aren't wrapped around her.

She hears the sound of a car engine stopping at about midnight and she stands to her feet nervously, muting the TV and walking into the hallway, her palms sweating as the click of the door unlocks and a tired Damon walks inside.

"Elena." He looks up surprised when he sees her, but a smile quickly falls to his lips. "I told you not to wait up." He shakes his head at her but approaches her quickly and wraps her up tightly in a hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." She lets out a breath of relief for just being in his arms, pulling away slightly so she can kiss him. "Are you hungry?" she asks while brushing some of his hair back with her fingers with a smile, her eyes landing on his perfect blue ones.

"Only for _you_." He smirks at her while wiggling his eyebrows and she laughs and shakes her head at him because she knows he'll never change.

And she doesn't want him too.

"I need to talk to you first." She says seriously, stepping back slightly but Damon keeps his hands rested on her hips.

"Ok?" he asks curiously and also a little nervous. "Is everything ok? I thought you were feeling better?" he sounds concerned and he presses a hand against her forehead immediately to check her temperature.

They spoke on the phone this morning and he'd asked if she was still feeling sick, she said no, just like she did the night before when he called to say goodnight and the other times before that, because she didn't want to worry him.

"I am, well…I mean…except in the _mornings_." She smiles slightly and she watches as his brows crease together confused.

"Except in the mornings?" his tone changes slightly and she nods her head. "Wait…are you saying…?"

She tries to read his reaction but she can't so instead she goes straight into it. "I haven't took a test yet, I've been waiting to do one with you, but…I'm pretty certain. I'm late and I'm never late, and then…I started getting sick in the mornings and…emotional and I remembered that time a few weeks ago when I missed a pill when we were staying in that motel in Gladstone because we were both too drunk to drive back to Mystic Falls, and we had sex twice that night and then again the next morning and my birth control wouldn't have been effective." She explains nervously, her words slipping all over the place and she knows she's rambling but she can't stop talking. "I wanted to tell you sooner but I knew you had to go to North Carolina and I didn't want to tell you and then for you to leave for a couple of days so I wanted to wait until you got back…but then you noticed I was sick and I was going to tell you anyway but then I got scared that you wouldn't want it yet because I know you only just started this job a couple of months ago and that you wanted to wait a couple of years before we started a family and-" she rambles nervously and in panic before Damon literally has to press his hand over her mouth to stop her.

"Elena, _breathe_." he shakes his head at her in disbelief. "Calm down baby," he lets out a small laugh. "You're pregnant?" he asks for the confirmation, his hands sliding from her mouth to the side of her cheeks.

"I'm like…90 percent sure of it." She tells him honestly.

"Ok." He smiles at her and she immediately feels better because of his perfect smile. "This is good, Elena." His smile widens and she can't help but mimic it.

"Are you sure? You aren't just saying that are you? I know you wanted to wait a little bit longer…"

"I know that's what I said, but honestly, I can't wait to have a little Elena running around the place." His eyes glisten.

"Or a little Damon."

"Oh that would be _fun_." He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows. "My very own mini-me."

"Oh god," she groans teasingly. "I don't think I could handle two of you!"

She will though, in fact, she can't think of anything better than a little mini Damon Salvatore. It's her idea of perfection.

Damon chuckles and kisses her on the lips slowly, and she can't help but sigh into the kiss, her mouth opening to deepen it and Damon walks them forward until she's pressed against the wall in the hallway.

"I love you, so much." Damon murmurs against her lips as he pulls away breathlessly. "And I want nothing more than to start a family with you, right now. And if…if the test comes back negative and you're not pregnant, I want us to try, ok? I'm ready, I'm more than ready. I want to have babies with you Elena Salvatore; I want to start our family _tonight_."

When Damon presses his finger on her cheek to catch her tears she realizes that she's crying and she nods her head furiously, her arms immediately wrapping around him and pulling him into a strong hug.

"I want to start a family with you too." She tells him into his ear before pulling back. "I have the test upstairs…shall we do this now?"

"Absolutely." He smiles at her reassuringly, squeezing her hand as she leads him upstairs and into their en-suite bathroom.

After three agonizing minutes of waiting and pacing, both she and Damon looked down at the test together and she burst into tears when she saw that it was positive.

Happy tears of course.

Damon even let out a few of his own and the two hugged and kissed before he insisted that he make an appointment with the doctor for her first thing in the morning to make sure that everything was as it should be.

They spent the next eight months preparing like normal excited first parents did, they had the nursery decorated, which Damon built with the help of Jeremy and Alaric, insisting that she stay out of the room so to not be affected by the paint fumes.

She loved it when it was finished, it was perfect.

Damon was so excited to be a Dad, and he told anyone who would listen that she was expecting. He was the definition of proud and she could only imagine what he would be like when the baby was actually born!

Her hormones drove Damon crazy, and she could admit that there were moments on more than one occasion where she completely overreacted about things, taking out her frustrations on him and blaming him for things that were ridiculous and absolutely not his fault.

He spent many nights in the guest bedroom.

Especially when she was heavily pregnant and the baby was over one week late past its due date.

She blamed Damon for that too.

It was on the 6th of November, four days after Damon's 28th birthday, when their beautiful baby boy was born and Damon and Elena could honestly say that it was the best day of their lives.

Damon cried when it happened, and so did she, and they probably looked a right pair to the doctors and nurses in the room but they didn't care.

Her heart soured when she held him in her arms for the first time, and the second his beautiful little eyes opened her heart skipped a beat when she recognized those familiar ice blue eyes.

She had her mini Damon.

He loved it, of course, it was the first thing he told everyone when he let them know that the baby was born and that it was a boy.

"He has my eyes," he would say immediately, the pride evident in his voice, and to be honest, it was the first thing she told people too.

"He has Damon's eyes." She'd say with a smile on her face.

Up until that moment, it was the best day of her life.

The day her beautiful baby boy was brought into this world.

Declan Grayson Salvatore.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Thank you all for reading and please let me know what you thought :) **

**4x23 SPOILER ALERT: ...**

**Just in case anyone hasn't seen the episode, stop reading!**

**But I am totally fan-girling over Delena right now ahhh! Amazing! What a brilliant episode, everything about it I just LOVED! Damon finally got the girl! No sirebond crap, for REAL! :) was such an amazing speech from Elena! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**Again, your response to this story is blowing me away! So I couldn't wait to post another chapter so here it is a day earlier than planned :)**

**This chapter is set just a few months after Crying Lightning ended. So Elena is 18 and Damon is 20. It also refers back to chapter 44 from Crying Lightning.**

* * *

Elena was nervous, no, she was _terrified_.

It was the day before Thanksgiving and she and Damon were back in Mystic Falls for the long weekend.

Tomorrow she'd be having a huge thanksgiving dinner with Jenna, Alaric, Jeremy, Damon, Caroline, Bonnie, Sheriff Forbes and Bonnie's Mom and Dad.

Today however she is having dinner with another family.

Her _other_ family.

Or at least they are by blood.

"Stop looking so petrified, you'll be fine." Damon parks the car outside of Isobel's house in Gladstone, reaching his hand across to push some of her wavy curls behind her ear. "You've met Isobel's husband before, right?" he asks and she nods her head.

They met a couple of days before she moved to New York, she met up with Isobel for lunch and Alan her husband drove to pick her up, their meeting was very brief, but he seemed like a nice enough guy.

"Ok, so that's one down." He draws a tick into the air with his finger. "So now you just have two little kids." He shrugs.

"Their practically teenagers, they aren't little kids." She sighs nervously as she checks her makeup in the side mirror. "What if they don't like me?"

"Why wouldn't they like you?" Damon's hand grips her shoulder and the other one tilts her chin, bringing her eyes onto his. "You're amazing." He smiles at her and she blushes. "Don't forget that."

"You're my boyfriend, you have to say that." she rolls her eyes slightly but smiles none the less.

"_Meh_, if you sucked, I'd tell you." He winks at me before climbing out of his beloved Camaro that he's been missing while we've been in New York. He rushes round to my door, opening it before she gets the chance and pulls her up with a smile, he closes the door over her shoulder and pins her against the car for a moment. "And if they really are stupid and don't like you, then so what? Their kids, their opinion doesn't mean anything anyway." He says lightly and she lets out a laugh despite herself. "And if there is any moment in there when you want to leave, just tell me and I'll make up some bullshit obvious excuse and get us the hell out of there, ok?"

"Ok." She smiles, suddenly feeling much better but then she's not surprised.

Damon always has that effect on her.

"Come on then," he links their fingers together and they walk up the short steps of Isobel's porch before ringing the doorbell.

It's barely seconds later when the door swings open and their greeted by a smiling Isobel, who has an apron wrapped around her and she notices Damon's eyebrows raise from the corner of her eye.

"Elena," she smiles widely and immediately pulls her in for a hug, she obliges, even if somewhat less enthusiastic, but it has been a while since they last seen each other.

She and Damon hadn't been in Mystic Falls since they moved to New York two months ago.

Isobel pulls away from her and turns her attention to the young man beside her. "Damon." She greets with a smile. "Good to see you again."

"You too _Miss Flemming_." He smiles mockingly at her and she immediately elbows him in the ribs. "Sorry, _Isobel_."

Isobel however just rolls her eyes with a smile and mutters something about how he hasn't changed.

We walk further into the house and Damon takes her hand back in his larger one, his grip strong and tight and she's thankful for the comfort as she looks around with her eyes.

It's cosy, and homely.

And there are a lot of family photos on the walls.

"Ah, Elena." Alan, Isobel's husband walks into the hallway, a towel placed over his shoulder, a smile on his face. "So good to see you again."

She smiles back, immediately feeling less nervous by the welcome he has given her but then Damon starts squeezing her hand extra tight, almost like he is trying to tell her something and she immediately feels anxious again.

"You must be the boyfriend," he turns to face Damon with a smile and holds his hand out.

Damon uses his spare hand to shake it back and nods his head. "That's right, I'm Damon."

"Alan." He greets him and she watches confused as he eyes her boyfriend for a moment. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Nope." Damon shakes his head and instantly smirks. "I just have one of those faces."

"Right…" Alan doesn't seem convinced and she sends Damon a questioning glance as they follow them through into the dining room, Damon however just widens his eyes at her and mumbles "Later" under his breath and she's left to let her imagination run wild.

"Alan, go and get the kids, tell them that Elena is here." Isobel orders her husband who does as she says obediently.

Elena takes a deep breath and glances at Damon who again squeezes her hand, giving her a comforting smile. She can tell that Isobel is nervous too, she keeps folding and then unfolding one of the napkins on the dinner table and the three of them are just left standing in the dining room in an awkward silence and suddenly all she wants to do is run back to her tiny dorm room in New York, snuggle up with Damon in her single bed and watch a movie, just the two of them.

Unfortunately, life isn't that easy.

Alan soon returns to the room, two smaller people following him.

A boy, and a slightly shorter girl.

James and Amber.

Her brother and sister.

"James, Amber." Isobel smiles instantly at them, her eyes light and happy as she steps behind them and places each hand on each of their shoulders. "This is Elena, Elena, this is James, and this is Amber."

"Nice to meet you." Elena makes the first move and holds her hand out, not entirely sure if this is the most appropriate way to greet for younger unknown siblings for the first time but it's not like there's a freaking handbook for this situation.

Thankfully, James sticks his hand out immediately and shakes Elena's, a smile creeping onto his face and she instantly feels more relaxed. "Nice to meet you too, Elena." He smiles formally, his voice slightly croaky like it is about to brake. "My Mom has told me lots about you."

"Oh really?" she glances at Isobel who is smiling and she looks back at James. "I've heard a lot about you too." She smiles genuinely and James grins.

She turns her head to Amber who is stood a little further back, a little less welcome, she instantly realizes.

"And you must be Amber." She smiles slightly at the girl, who just barely forces a smile back. "I've heard a lot about you too."

She doesn't say anything back and Isobel immediately nudges her. "Amber, don't be rude." She looks back up at Elena. "She's shy."

"No I'm not." Amber huffs immediately and she swears she hears Damon chuckle behind her. "I'm not shy."

"Well, I am." She smiles down at her. "And nervous, I'm very nervous."

Amber stays silent and Elena doesn't know what else to say, she doesn't really know many 11 year old girls, and when she was 11 she already had her best friends from practically being a baby and never had to worry about making new ones until High School, but she was a lot more mature and socially adequate then, so she had no idea how 11 year old girls deal with meeting new people.

Is this normal?

"Well, I'm Damon." She feels his hand land on the small of her back and she immediately feels better. "It's nice to meet both of you."

James greets him with no problem, a smile on his face just like there was one with Elena and she watches as Damon turns his attention to Amber, who is trying to hide her smile when a red blush immediately crosses the younger girl's cheeks.

"Hi." She squeaks out at her boyfriend and she sees Isobel roll her eyes from behind them.

"Why don't we all take a seat?" Alan breaks the tension in the room. "Isobel darling, the roast should be ready now?"

Isobel nods her head and walks through a door which Elena is guessing leads to the kitchen, motioning for James to go with her to help her.

She takes a seat at the long rectangle table, Damon immediately sitting beside her and she watches as Amber reluctantly takes her seat opposite her.

"Do you two want anything to drink?" Alan asks politely. "We have wine…beer…" he looks unsurely. "Are you both of age?"

Elena shakes her head no and requests an orange juice, Damon saying water is fine with him and Alan leaves the room to get them.

"So…Amber." Damon breaks the awkward silence. "You're 11, right?"

"Eleven and a half!" she answers immediately, a blush back on her cheeks.

"Eleven and a half." Damon nods his head in acknowledgement and turns his head to Elena. "What were _you_ into when you were eleven and a half, Elena?" he asks with a smirk.

Elena glances back at Amber to see that she actually seems semi-interested in the conversation. "Make up." She confirms. "I remember me and my friends always used to have sleepovers and practice putting make up on each other." She smiles thinking back to it.

"Me and my best friend do that." Amber replies instantly and she smiles.

"Yeah? You'll have to show me some tips." She asks her and Amber immediately nods her head in agreement.

Alan walks back into the room before they can take the conversation any further, handing everyone their drinks and before long dinner is set and everyone is around the table to eat. James sat next to his Dad, and opposite Damon, Isobel at the other head of the table, between her and Amber.

"So, are you two spending Thanksgiving together?" Isobel asks curiously as they tuck into the meal she made.

"Yeah," she answers with a smile. "Damon's Dad is in Chicago, and Stefan is staying in California at Stanford, so we decided to come back to Mystic Falls and have it with Jenna, Ric and Jeremy." she decides to leave the rest of the invite list off.

"So you're not from around here, Damon?" Alan asks curiously.

Damon looks confused for a moment before answering. "Well…I was born in Mystic Falls, and then I moved to Chicago when I was seven before moving back to Mystic Falls when I was fifteen."

"No, no, I meant _here_, as in Gladstone." Alan clarifies and she looks between them curiously, wondering if this has something to do with Damon's strange actions earlier when they first arrived.

"_Nope_." Damon answers simply. "Mystic Falls, Chicago, Mystic Falls and then New York. That's it."

"Hm. I'm just trying to think where I know you from." Alan shoves his fork into his mouth and suddenly an idea crosses her mind.

What if he recognized Damon from local newspapers reporting the shooting incident where Katherine was killed? She remembered it being in the papers a lot at the time, but she didn't think it would have left Mystic Falls. She hopes that is not the case, it's not exactly a good thing to base an opinion of her boyfriend on and Damon deserves better than to be judged from that.

But then again, why was Damon acting so sketchy earlier?

"I showed you the yearbook after Elena's graduation, remember?" Isobel joins in the conversation. "Maybe it's just from that."

"Yeah, maybe." Alan replies but he doesn't seem convinced and when Damon gives her a side glance, she knows that there is definitely more to this story.

* * *

It's not until a couple of hours later, when James and Amber have left to go to their bedrooms and it's just the four of them chatting casually in the living room, Damon's arm draped around Elena's shoulders as she leans into him on the couch when Alan remembers where he knows Damon from.

"That's it!" Alan leans forward, placing his bottle of beer on the coffee table between us. "I know where I know you from!" she glances at Damon who immediately stiffens. "You're one of the kids who trashed my bookstore a few months ago!"

Elena almost chokes on her drink. "_What_?"

"Yes that's right! I remember you now, you and two other kids just rolled right in there, you knocked down an entire stand of antique bookshelves, and it cost me hundreds of dollars of damage!"

Damon immediately cringes and she looks at him for an explanation. "I was kinda hoping you'd forgotten all about that…"

"When was this?" Isobel asks confused, briefly remembering her husband being angry and pissed off at teenagers messing around in his store and causing damage.

"Damon?" she pushes for an explanation and he turns his head to look at her apologetically.

"Remember the time I drove you to meet Isobel here in Gladstone and Jeremy and Bonnie tagged along?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…Bonnie wanted to go to the bookstore while we were waiting for you, and dragged me and Jeremy along with her, the two of us were mucking around a little and we fell over and knocked down a stand or two." He explains before turning back to face Alan. "Look man, I'm sorry, it was an accident."

"An accident?" Alan shakes his head in annoyance and she wonders when this night suddenly took a turn for the worse. "If it was an accident you wouldn't have ran away! Those shelves were _antiques_!"

"I can reimburse you, if that's what you want…" Damon offers.

"I don't want your money kid, not that you'd able to even give me it! Those were expensive cases!"

She glances at Damon nervously for a moment, her hand immediately resting on his thigh in an attempt to keep him calm.

"Write me a cheque, and I'll pay it." He answers stubbornly, hating that this guy just assumes he's broke just because he's a college student.

"Five thousand dollars." Alan replies almost smugly and Elena can't help the frown that appears on her face.

"_What_?!" Damon looks at him disbelief. "There is no way in hell we made that much damage!"

"Look, this is silly." Isobel cuts in and attempts to calm the situation. "This was months ago, the damage is done, we don't need to dwell on this."

She's about to agree, but it seems that Isobel's husband is just as stubborn as her boyfriend.

"Hey, if he can't own up to it and pay it then that's fine, I'll drop the subject." Alan holds his hands up.

"I can own up to it and I can _definitely_ pay it." Damon snaps defensively and she immediately squeezes his thigh.

"_Damon_," she mumbles quietly under her breath, a hint of warning to her voice.

"It's fine, baby." He acknowledges her for a moment before turning back to face Alan. "As soon as I get back to Mystic Falls I'll get my chequebook out and write one out to you for five thousand dollars, ok?"

Alan shakes his head with a none-believing smile. "Sure son." He says in a patronizing tone that doesn't seem convinced at all and she knows that Damon will continue to get riled up if they stay here for much longer.

"It's getting late…" she makes a move to stand up, pulling Damon up with her and Isobel immediately jumps to her feet.

"Elena no," she sighs apologetically. "You don't have to go. Alan, apologize!"

"He doesn't need to apologize." Damon cuts in in annoyance and she rolls her eyes.

What is it with men and their pride?

"See, you heard the boy, I don't need to apologize." Alan replies stubbornly.

"It's fine, really." she ignores them both and looks at Isobel. "We have an early start tomorrow and we're still tired from our flight this morning, it's been a long day, and _someone_ gets cranky when he's tired." She jabs Damon in the ribs and he grunts slightly but doesn't argue.

"Are you sure?" Isobel asks still feeling hesitant.

"Yes." She smiles firmly, because she really is ready to just crawl into bed. She wasn't lying when she said they'd had a long day.

Between the flight from New York to Richmond and then the drive from Richmond to Mystic Falls before then later having to drive from Mystic Falls to Gladstone, she was beyond exhausted.

They say their goodbyes to James and Amber quickly before Isobel walks them to the door, apologizing yet again and promising that the next time they all meet up together it will be better.

Elena's sure it will be.

They say goodbye with the promise to meet up when she comes back to Virginia for winter break, and the second Isobel closes the door and they walk down the porch steps towards Damon's car she immediately pushes him in the side, watching as he tumbles on his feet for a moment before regaining his balance.

"You're an idiot!"

"What?" Damon smiles slightly as he regains his balance. "He was an ass!"

"You were both acting like asses; it was like you were having a pissing contest!"

"He doesn't think I have the cash to pay him back, little does he know that I'm a secret millionaire." He smirks proudly as he opens the door for her and she rolls her eyes before climbing inside, Damon immediately running around into the driver's seat.

"Yeah Damon, emphasis on the word _secret_." She reminds him. "I thought you were the one who didn't want to splash your cash around."

"I don't, but I guess I do owe him for the damage, and if he is insisting that it was five thousand dollars, which I really don't believe to be the case but he is obviously trying to prove something to me, then I'll pay it easily."

"Even if he is ripping you off?" she asks in disbelief.

She really doesn't understand male pride.

"_Especially_ if he is ripping me off." Damon smirks as he pulls away and starts driving. "The guy thinks he's all that with his big house and his shitty bookstore in small town suburbia, but little does he know that it is like loose change to me." he says smugly.

"Oh my god, Damon!" Elena groans and puts her head in her hands. "You can't say stuff like that!"

"I wouldn't say that to him, geez, Elena, come on!" he rolls his eyes and she turns her head to face him and watch as a small smile creeps onto his lips. "Oh I wish I would be able to see his face when he gets my cheque."

She can't help but smile because Damon is right, Alan one hundred percent believed that Damon wouldn't be able to afford to pay him back and she wishes she could be there when he does in fact receive the cheque that Damon insisted he would get.

"I'm sure it'll be a picture." She smirks and Damon chuckles before holding out his arm, Elena immediately taking the hint and shuffling along his comfy padded seats and resting her head against his shoulder as his arm wraps around her comfortingly.

"Next time he'll think twice about making assumptions about a Salvatore." He smiles smugly and she laughs and shakes her head.

Men and their pride, she'd never ever understand it.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it, please review and let me know what you thought, your feedback and comments always keeps inspiring me to write more :)**

**Until next time! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**I know what you're thinking, two new chapters in two days?! Your response just keeps blowing my mind, all your sweet reviews keep making me want to post more just to see what you all have to say! It really is amazing, thank you! Plus ****I've had a crappy really long day so I need some cheering up haha!**

**This chapter is going to be a little different, (and somewhat shorter than normal) and it's kind of based from Stefan's perspective. **

**It is set during Damon and Elena's junior year at college. Damon 22 and Elena 20.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Stefan knew that something wasn't right the second Damon answered his phone after ignoring his calls for two weeks.

Arriving in New York, just confirmed his original thoughts.

His brother was a _mess_.

"Damon? What the hell is going on with you man? What happened?" he looked around the small messy New York apartment to see empty bottles and cans everywhere, the apartment stinks and he doesn't know how Damon can stand to live in this pit, he feels like vomiting from being here for less than five minutes.

He put his bag by the door and walked closer to Damon who is sat on the couch, a bottle of beer in his hands. His hair is a mess and he clearly hasn't shaved in days, his stubble is coming out dark and thick and he looks broken and he immediately has a strong feeling as to why.

"Did something happen with Elena?" he questions into the room, the only sound being heard is the low humming of the baseball game that is on TV. "Damon?" he shakes his head when he doesn't answer him. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Elena broke up with me." Damon mutters coldly, his voice low and rough and although he suspected as much, he's still surprised by the news.

It's Damon and Elena.

He thought they had the perfect relationship.

Damon finishes his bottle before throwing it across the room, and all he can do is watch as it smashes against the wall.

"Damon, I don't know what's happened but you can't go on like this…this isn't healthy." He takes in his brother's tired face, his eyes are red and his cheeks are pale and he can see cuts and bruises on his knuckles and he hopes that it's only from punching a wall or something, the last thing Damon needs is to get back into trouble with the law again.

He's come a long way from gang wars and shootings.

"I don't care! What are you even doing here? Nobody asked you here, Stefan! Why don't you just leave, go back to Stanford and mind your own god damn fucking business?!" Damon stands up, his voice raised and approaches his brother with shaky legs and Stefan can tell immediately that he's drunk.

"Dude you stink, go take a shower and sort yourself out." Stefan ignores his angry outburst and walks into the open kitchen and pulls out a bottle of water from the fridge before walking back to Damon and pushing it into his hands. "And drink this, you need to sober up."

Damon just glares at him before pushing past him and heading towards his bedroom instead, dropping the bottle of water on the ground as he goes. He watches him go with a sigh before pulling out his phone and dialing a familiar number.

"Hey it's me, do you happen to know Elena's New York address?"

* * *

Stefan looks up at the apartment block that Caroline had sent him too, she was curious on the phone as to why he needed it or just couldn't get it from Damon but he made sure to keep his answers vague, he didn't really know what was going on here but what he did know was that his brother was a mess and that for whatever reason, he believed that Elena had broken up with him.

Stefan knew his brother sometimes had a habit to be a tad bit dramatic, so he thought he'd rather check and hear it from the horse's mouth before believing it, especially since Caroline, who is supposed to be one of Elena's best friends, had no idea about it.

He only saw them both two months ago over the Christmas holidays in Mystic Falls and they seemed just as happy as ever, so what the hell has changed between now and then?

He rings the buzzer of the number of the apartment that Caroline told him was Elena's and he waits patiently for a reply.

"_Hello_?" an unrecognizable voice comes through the fuzzy speakers and he immediately leans forward.

"Oh hey, is this Elena Gilbert's apartment?" he asks unsurely.

"Yes." The voice answers simply. "Who is this?"

"Um, my name is Stefan Salvatore? I'm an old friend of Elena's from Mystic Falls. Is she here?"

There is a slight pause and he waits somewhat anxiously. "Salvatore? Are you related to Damon?"

He lets out a sigh of relief at the recognition and nods his head before realizing that this girl can't actually see him. "Yes, he's my brother. Is Elena here?"

"Yes she's here…" the girl says hesitantly. "I'm not sure if she wants visitors though."

"Please." Stefan asks her pleadingly. "Just let me see her, and if she tells me to leave I promise I'll go."

"Ok fine," he hears her sigh and then the sound of the door clicking. "Come on up."

He walks up two flights of stairs before stopping at Elena's apartment door, he takes a deep breath before tapping his knuckles against the solid oak and he waits patiently until a girl answers with light brown hair.

"Stefan?" she raises her eyebrow at him and he nods his head slowly. "I'm Charlotte, one of Elena's roommate's." she holds the door open for him and he smiles before walking inside, immediately taking in his surroundings.

"Nice place you got here," he looks around briefly before turning to face her. "Does Elena know I'm here?"

"Nope." Charlotte shakes her head before picking up a coat that is hanging up from the hook by the door. "She's in her room, and has barely left it these past couple of weeks but I'm sure you know why."

Actually, he didn't know why, which was why he was here in the first place. Damon was in no fit state to talk to him about anything.

"It's the third door on the left." She says after he doesn't answer her. "I've got to get to class, but if you really aren't who you say you are, my other roommate will be home soon and she has a black belt in karate so I'm sure she'll kick your ass."

He smiles slightly despite himself and promises the girl that he is definitely who he says he is before she leaves and he is left alone.

He takes a deep breath before wondering along the hall to what he now knows is Elena's room before slowly knocking on it.

"Charlotte I told you I'm not hungry!" he hears her shout through the wooden door and he clears his throat.

"It's not Charlotte."

There is a pause and he hears movement and soon the door is slowly opening and Elena is stood in front of him.

She looks almost as bad as Damon does.

Her eyes are red and puffy and he can immediately tell that she has been crying, she looks skinnier too, almost like she hasn't been eating properly. She's dressed in sweatpants and a large NYU hoody which he is obviously assuming belongs to Damon.

"Stefan?" she looks him over confused. "What are you doing here?" she questions surprised but then a look crosses her face that he thinks is panic. "Wait, is something wrong? Is it Damon?"

"No, no." he reaches his hand out to her shoulder reassuringly. "Damon's fine…well…" he rethinks his words. "He's not _fine_, but then again, neither are you."

She looks down at her bare feet and sniffles slightly and Stefan sends her a sad smile. "What happened, Elena?"

She motions for him to step back and she leaves her bedroom and leads him into the kitchen, she offers him coffee which he accepts and they both sit opposite each other on stools by the counter.

"Damon and I broke up." She confirms what Damon said, and again, he is surprised.

"Why?" he asks simply and Elena shakes her head and he watches as tears sting her eyes again and he immediately feels bad.

"He's been having some…_trust_ issues." She mutters awkwardly.

"Trust issues?" Stefan asks confused. "I know that Damon is overprotective sometimes, but he trusts you, Elena, he trusts you more than anyone else in the world. Hell, I reckon you're the _only _person Damon does trust."

And that is the absolute truth. He's sure of it.

"Maybe he used too, but not anymore." Elena sighs and looks down at her mug with sad eyes. "Lately, he's been more paranoid and possessive." She mumbles unhappily.

"What do you mean possessive?" he asks sharply and he watches as Elena's eyes widen and she immediately shakes her head.

"No, no." she immediately defends him still. "Nothing like _that_. Just…ok," She takes a deep breath. "I have a friend, called Mark, and Damon seemed insistent that he was into me."

"And was he?"

"No!" Elena argues immediately. "He's just my friend, but Damon never bought it, and he'd get angry whenever we hung out, even if there was a big group of us, as soon as he found out Mark was there he'd want me to leave, or he'd give me the cold shoulder the next time we saw each other. I told him over and over again that there was absolutely nothing going on between us, and that Mark and I were _just_ friends and that's how we saw each other. But you know what Damon is like, once he gets an idea into his head he just doesn't know how to let it go."

"So you broke up with him?" Stefan frowns at her confused and also a little annoyed, a certain urge to defend his brother overtaking him. "After everything you two have been through, after everything you have both done together, you just broke up with him because he got a little jealous of one guy?" he asks in disbelief.

Elena looks up at him with a glare. "This has been going on for months, Stefan! I tried time and time again to reassure him that I'd never leave him, never mind cheat on him but he just wouldn't listen. I would think things were fine between us and that we were happy, but as soon as I hung out with Mark again we had the same fight all over again. Do you know what that feels like? To constantly have someone who you _love_ always questioning you over someone else you have absolutely _no_ romantic feelings for?"

He stays silent and looks away, thinking back to a girlfriend he had in his first year of college who accused him of cheating on her just because he was close friends with a girl in his class.

It sucked.

"I get it, Elena." He admits. "But I only saw you two together at Christmas, you seemed happy…there didn't seem like anything was going wrong?" he questions, wondering if he just had completely missed it.

"That's because we were happy." Elena sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "Mark was hardly a problem to us when we were in a different state. Besides, it only really got _bad_ from a few weeks ago. And two weeks ago we all went out to see a band and Damon came along, which isn't unusual, he always comes and hangs out with my friends, their his friends now too, just like his are with me, but this time Mark was there and Damon saw what he wanted to see, so we left early and we had this massive argument, we've never argued like that before, and we've argued a lot, but never like that." I watch as her eyes water. "We both said some horrible things to each other, things that I regret and I know he will too, but…it just got too much and I ended it." She wipes at her eyes."I haven't seen him since, it's been over a fortnight now." I sigh and take a sip from my coffee.

"I'm sorry, Elena."

I watch as more tears fall from her eyes despite how much she is trying to control them. "How is he?"

I debate on whether or not to sugar-coat it, I know that she is hurting enough as it is and I also know that Damon will kill me for even being here, never mind spilling details about how he is doing.

But I need to be honest. I need to help them.

"He's a mess, Elena." I confess and I watch as Elena's eyes fill up again. "I knew something was up, he'd been ignoring my calls for the last two weeks and he was supposed to come to California to see my game at Stanford on Friday but he didn't show up with no explanation."

"So you flew all the way out here?" Elena questions surprised. She knew that Damon and Stefan's relationship was much better and stronger since High School, but even she was surprised by that.

He shrugs slightly. "I was due a visit anyway, and I have some classes cancelled tomorrow so it was a good time." He sighs and watches her for a moment. "He's heart broken, Elena."

"I know," she whispers in a shaky voice. "So am I."

"Then go to him," Stefan practically pleads with her. "Go talk to him, work through this! You're stronger than this."

"I can't Stefan, what am I supposed to do? Maybe he apologizes for being an idiot, then what? I meet another guy who I want to be friends with and we have the same fight all over again?"

"I think he'll have learned his lesson, Elena." Stefan tells her honestly. "I've seen him…he's a wreck. He hasn't showered, he hasn't shaved, god knows what he's eaten, and his entire apartment reeks of alcohol and vomit, I'm surprised his roommates haven't kicked up a fuss yet."

"Will is visiting family in Chicago and the other one is volunteering in Haiti for a month so he's alone." She mumbles distractedly. "Is he really that bad?" she asks nervously.

"Yes." Stefan nods his head. "He loves you, Elena." He watches her as she plays with a necklace around her neck and he instantly recognizes it as the one Damon bought her for her eighteenth birthday. "Do you still love him?"

Elena's head snaps up to face him, her eyes almost on fire. "Of course I do! Of course I still love him! What the hell kind of question is that, Stefan?" she hisses at him angrily and he almost smiles.

"I had to ask Elena." He tells her honestly and they fall into a short silence before he speaks up again. "So now what?" She shrugs and looks down. "You're both just going to move on then? He'll meet another girl and you'll meet another guy and you'll just get over him? That's that?" he asks bluntly, watching as her head snaps back up to face him in shock, a hint of anger in her eyes.

"_Don't_."

"What?" he shrugs innocently. "What do you expect to happen, Elena? He's going to have to move on to someone else eventually. Are you prepared to let that happen? Are you prepared to see him happy with someone who isn't you?"

"You're only saying this to get a reaction out of me." she glares at him but he hears the shakiness in her voice, he hears the fear, the heartache.

"Maybe." he admits. "But it's the truth isn't it? One day he's going to meet a girl, fall in love." he watches as her eyes fill up with tears and she turns her head away from him. "It may take a while, but he will get over you and you will get over him."

"That's the problem!" she snaps at him angrily. "I _can't_ get over him; I don't think I'll ever be able to get over him. He's…he's…_Damon_." She states in disbelief. "And the thought of him moving on with someone else? Me being with someone else? _No_, I…God…I can't…I need him." She shakes her head and stands up, tears burning in her eyes. "What am I _doing_? You're right, we can work through this, we've been through a hell of a lot worse." She walks quickly past him out of the kitchen and he watches her go surprised before snapping out of it and following her.

"Where are you going?" he watches as she grabs her coat from the hook beside the door and pulls on some trainers.

Elena turns around to face him, a determined look on her face.

"To get my boyfriend back."

And when Stefan is stood in JFK airport the next day waiting to catch his flight back to California, he receives a text message from his brother.

He looks down to see a photo message picture of Damon and Elena, both with smiles on their faces and he can see in their eyes that this is real.

He reads the small text below it and knows immediately that coming here was the best thing he has ever done for his brother.

_**Thank you**_.

He boards the plane back to Stanford with a smile on his face.

* * *

**I've been asked in a review if I'd do a chapter of Damon and Elena at a college party or hanging in their dorm room, don't worry, I am planning on doing a lot more chapters of them during their time at college, including a Halloween college party!**

**Thanks again for reading! I hope you liked it! Even if this one was a little less fluff, but it all ended well in the end!**

**Until next time :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**So this chapter is the first installment for a 2 parter, except I don't know if the 2nd part will follow straight up on this as I haven't finished it yet so I might put another chapter in between so break it up in order to keep up this regular updating speed :)**

**This chapter is set when Damon is 29 and Elena 28. Declan is 2 and a half. **

* * *

"Say hello to Mommy," I sit Declan on my lap as we look at Elena's smiling face on my iPad. I lift up his tiny wrist and wave, and watch as Declan takes a few minutes to understand what's going on before a look of recognition crosses his beautiful face.

"Momma!" his bright blue eyes widen in fascination and I watch with pride as a tiny smile crosses his lips and I bounce the two year old on my lap with a smile causing him to giggle.

"Hi baby!" Elena practically squeals with excitement from the other end of the line and I am so thankful for technology! "Are you being good for Daddy? Huh? Is Daddy behaving himself?"

Declan just tries to reach forward and touch the screen but I gently move his sticky fingers away, very aware that he's just ate ice cream with his hands!

"Of course he is!" I wink at her with a smirk. "We both miss you though, a lot!"

"I miss you both too." Elena sighs sadly. "I'm the worst maid of honor ever, I'm supposed to be throwing Caroline the best bachelorette party ever but all I can think about is getting on the next flight home back to my boys."

"I still can't believe she's marrying my brother!" I shake my head in disbelief. That was a whirlwind romance if he had ever heard one.

They'd only been dating for six months!

"Yuck, does this mean I'll actually be related to Caroline Forbes?" I scrunch my nose up in distaste and lift Declan onto his legs, balancing his feet on my thighs. "Oh no, this means you'll actually have to call her Aunt Caroline for real buddy! I'll pray for you!"

"Damon!" Elena scolds him from across the country but there is a smile plastered on her face.

Caroline and Stefan both live in LA, California, and that is where they are having the wedding and therefore the bachelor and bachelorette parties too. Stefan had his early, two weeks ago, because of work, and I, being the perfect dedicated brother and best man that I am, flew there for it, as well as making sure we made a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas too.

I made sure I gave my brother the best send-off I could into married life, he would need it, I mean, I'm sure marrying Caroline Forbes will be like a jail sentence. The poor guy.

Elena would be staying in California until the wedding next week, and I'd be flying with Declan in a couple days after I finish up the baseball season at work.

"Do you have your flights booked?" she questions with her eyebrows raised and I roll my eyes.

"_Yes_ my dear, my flight, Dec's flight, Jeremy, Alaric and the kids will be flying with us too, so tell Bonnie and Jenna not to worry!"

"Oh god, I do not trust you three together!" Elena groans teasingly. "It's a recipe for disaster! Please do not day drink when you are in charge of three small children!"

"Elena!" I gasp mockingly. "How could you think such a thing?!" I cover Declan's ears with my hands. "We got an _evening_ flight." I wink at her mischievously.

"Declan baby, you make sure that Daddy stays away from the whiskey and beers, ok?" she coos at our son and I can see in her eyes how much she is missing him.

"Momma!" Declan tries to touch the screen again and Damon pulls him closer back against his chest. "Daddy go bang!" he picks up a truck that has been discarded on the floor beside him and Damon immediately cringes.

"What goes bag?" Elena raises her eyebrows at us suspiciously.

"Nothing!"

"_Damon_." Elena says my name in a warning tone. "Dec baby, what did Daddy do?"

"Daddy, he jump and the…the-" Declan tries to explain but his vocabulary is only just starting to really grow and he struggles to find the right words, so instead he turns his attention back onto his plastic truck and runs it up and down my other leg.

"We may have been messing around earlier…" I explain reluctantly. "And I may have been standing on the coffee table…and it may have broken."

"What the he-what were you doing on the coffee table?" Elena asks me in disbelief but I can see a hint of enjoyment in her eyes.

"We were playing a game where the floor was toxic waste and we weren't allowed to stand on it." I explain meekly. "It was your son's idea!"

"And you chose, out of all the furniture in the house, to stand on the coffee table?" Elena shakes her head at me amused.

"Well Declan had the couch…"

"I won!" Declan re-joins the conversation.

"You did? Yay! Well done baby!" Elena wiggles her eyebrows at him with a smile.

"Momma, you not play with us?" Declan pouts and I watch immediately as Elena's smile slowly fades.

"I can't Dec, but I will see you very very soon, ok? And when I do, I want you to give me a big kiss and an even bigger hug because Mommy misses you very much."

"We both will, won't we buddy?" I ruffle some of his messy dark brown hair on his head with a reassuring smile as he nods his head. "Two more days!" I look at Elena through the screen. "It'll fly by."

Elena sighs loudly and puts on a brave face. "I'm sure it will, I just hate being away from you both, and I've never been away from Declan before for this long."

I know how hard it is leaving your child behind for the first time; I remember when I had my first away game with the team back when baseball season started up again. It was a cold day in February, and Declan was only three months old, it was the worst and longest two days of my life, and I hated every second of it, so I can't even imagine what Elena will be feeling right now.

I would consider myself a hands on Dad, I work four days a week during the on-season and just the one day a week during the off. And although there are days when I have to travel for away games, I'm never gone for longer than three or four days at the most, and even then it's very rare, most of the time it's just for two days.

Elena however, took a year off work after Declan was born, and spent every day with him, and when she did go back to work, she only went back part-time, which meant she works even less hours than I do. We are both lucky enough to have jobs that give us almost the full summer off work, and to be honest, if we didn't, I'd quit. Because family comes first to me, and I can't imagine being one of those Dads who sees his kid late every night just in time to tuck them into bed during the week, barely spending 30 minutes with them a night and then just seeing them properly at the weekend.

I know that a lot of people in that situation don't have a choice, but I fortunately do.

I grew up in a house where my Dad barely gave me any attention, and when he did, it was always stern and firm and not at all the kind of attention that a young boy needs.

So with Declan, I make sure to play with him every single day, even if I've had a long day at work and have been stuck in traffic for hours leaving Charlottesville to drive back to Mystic Falls. And I make sure that we eat together as a family every night that we can too.

"Oh I gotta go." Elena pouts and glances to her right, where I can briefly hear the voice of Bonnie telling her that they need to get ready to leave the hotel. She turns back around and I can immediately see the tears in her eyes.

"Hey hey, don't cry." I say softly, wishing more than anything that I could reach out and caress her cheek. "You'll see us both in two days! It'll fly by, I promise! Go and have fun, and do whatever you crazy ladies normally do at these things!" I cover Declan's ears again. "Don't get too drunk though and stay away from those male Channing Tatum like strippers!"

Elena laughs and it makes me smile. "Ok, I love you. Declan," she calls out and the two year old lifts his head back up to look at the screen. "I love you baby."

"I ove you too Mommy." Declan replies unconcerned before going back to his truck. I laugh and kiss the top of his head.

"I love you, beautiful." I smile at her softly. "We miss you! See you soon, ok?"

Elena nods her head and before she turns the camera off I see her swiftly wipe at her eyes. I watch as my iPad falls back to its home page and sigh before picking up Declan from my lap and turning him around. "What are we going to do huh?"

"Can we watch toons?" he smiles a toothy grin and I nod my head before reaching for the remote and putting some cartoons on for him.

* * *

After about an hour of watching TV, I walk into the kitchen and grimace when I look inside the fridge. "Hey Dec!" I shout his name before walking back into the living room where I left Declan on the couch. "What do you say we call up Uncle Ric and see if he wants to grab dinner with us, huh?"

"Joey too?!" He asks excitedly and I chuckle, thinking about how much Declan looks up to his slightly older…second cousin? He's not quite sure how it goes, but Alaric's youngest son Joseph and his boy have become quite the pair, Joe is three and a half, so slightly older, but at that age it matters, and Elena sometimes worries that he plays too rough with Declan who is still just a baby to her.

"We'll see." I tell him before pulling out my cellphone and sending Ric a text.

I walk into The Grill with Declan in my arms and immediately look around the crowded place to see the similar faces, nothing ever changes.

I smirk when I spot Alaric, he is sat in a booth, Joseph next to him on one side and a five year old Alice on his other, it looks they are arguing, and I smile as Joseph stands up on the booth and literally tries to punch his big sister.

"Hey hey, save the violence for after dinner." I grin as we walk over.

"Uncle Damon!" Alice's glare falls straight from her face and is replaced to a smile as she notices me. Declan squirms in my arms and I plop him down on the booth before sliding in after him, reaching my hand over the table to give a high five to both kids before looking at a stress sleep deprived Ric in the middle.

"You ok bud? You look a little…unkept." I smirk and Ric just glares at me.

"Unkept? I have to take care of these two devils spawn _alone_ while my wife is off partying in LA!"

"Daddy!" Alice joins in the conversation as always, not a single sentence misses her little ears. "That's not very nice!" she scolds him.

"I'm sorry baby girl, Daddy was joking." He leans down and kisses her cheek before looking back at me and shaking his head with wide eyes.

I chuckle and ruffle some of Declan's hair with my hand, watching amused as he listens to a story Joe is telling him from across the table in a complete trance. It's something about a wrestler, I think, I'm not sure though. "Well me and this one have definitely been enjoying some much needed boy time!" I grin amused, only saying it to tease a stressed out Ric, because as much as I have been enjoying spending some quality alone time with my son, I miss Elena like crazy.

I miss the three of us together even more.

And the house is an absolute mess, but I'll keep that part to myself for now.

"Yeah yeah," Alaric waves him off. "Just wait until you have your second one, things will change then! It gets ten times harder!"

I chuckle and shrug. "Nah, Elena makes Angel babies." I smirk at him cockily.

"Oh please, I've babysat that one numerous of times," he motions to Declan. "He is his father's son!"

I laugh and watch him for a moment, knowing that Ric is right. Sure, he has a lot of Elena in him, but there is definitely moments when he acts exactly like I would, tantrums and all.

I think back to a couple of months ago when I took him grocery shopping with me, Elena was at home sick with the flu and I was left to do all the household mundane things that she normally did. She warned me about taking Declan with me before he had his nap, she said that he always got grouchy before nap time, especially when he wasn't in the comfort of his own home, but I waved her off and told her it would be fine.

I was wrong.

Declan wanted everything, and I mean _everything_.

And when I said no, he screamed like I'd heard no child scream before, he stomped his little feet, he threw himself on the floor and he wailed like the world was ending. In the end, I ended up with half of the store in my cart and when I got home and Elena pulled herself out of bed to help me stock the fridge, I got a look that said I told you so and an eye roll at my softness.

"Damon, he needs to learn that he can't get everything he wants." She scolded me while digging through one of the many paper bags I returned with and pulling out an iced tub. "He doesn't even like strawberry ice cream!" she shakes her head with disbelief as she places it on the counter.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" I argued, although deep down, I knew she was right. "He was kicking up a fuss and causing a scene, it got to the point where it was easier to just get him what he wanted."

"You were supposed to say no." she picks out another item that we certainly do not need. "And if he was really bad, just put it in the cart and then take it out when he's not looking, trust me, I've done that before and it works every time, he only wants what he can see and then he forgets about it! He's two years old!"

I never took him to the supermarket alone again after that.

"Dad, can I go play in the arcade?" Alice interrupts my thoughts.

Alaric sighs before digging into his pocket and handing her some quarters. "Fine, but only until the food comes, ok?"

I watch amused as Joey doesn't even ask, he just jumps over Alaric and steals half of the quarters he just gave Alice before running off towards the little arcade that was set up a few years ago across the room.

"Daddy! Me go too!" Declan is now on his feet standing on the booth, his hands clutched on my sweatshirt, pulling it slightly to get my attention. "Pwease Daddy!"

I sigh before shouting for Alice to come back over. "Hold his hand, do not let go." I tell her firmly as I pick Declan up and move him over me before landing him on the floor, watching as Alice takes his little hand and leads him away.

"Great, now the kids are gone get me a bourbon!" Alaric waves over a waitress and requests two glasses of their finest whiskey. I chuckle amused and wait patiently until she comes back to us, immediately taking a sip and sighing in satisfaction.

"Can you remember when we used to do this without the kids?" I swirl around the liquid in my glass. "It seems like so long ago."

"For me it was!" Alaric grumbles wistfully. "I don't know what you're complaining about, I got three years on you buddy of parenting responsibilities."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were an old man." I smirk at him before tilting my head to keep my eye on Declan across the room. He seems content to be watching Joey play on a Pac-Man machine, but if he knows his son, he'll know that very soon he'll get bored and will want to play something himself. "You and Jenna thought about having any more?" I ask while keeping my eye on Declan.

"We've thought about it, but we're happy with Alice and Joseph." He says. "I don't think I could handle another one." He laughs slightly and I can't help but laugh along with him. "What about you? Elena ready for another one?"

"Yup." I confess. "Actually…we've been trying." I smile a little as I think about it.

"Really?" Alaric asks surprised. "I know Elena said she wanted Declan to have a little brother or sister but I thought she wanted to wait a little while longer."

"She did, but a friend from work just had a baby and you know what women are like, they see a cute kid, they want a cute kid." I shrug casually but I know that there was more to it than that. He and Elena both want another child, so why wait any longer? Declan was two years old now, they both have secure steady jobs and it's not like they are working crazy hours or can't afford it.

They're ready for it.

"And no success yet?" Alaric asks curiously.

"Nope, not yet. But we have only just started trying, I mean…I don't really understand how this whole thing works, with Declan, while as blessed as we are to have him, and he was one hundred percent wanted, he came to us by complete surprise. We weren't trying at the time to get pregnant or anything, but fate happened and along he came." I smile at the memory of my son being born; it truly was the best day of my life, well, alongside my wedding day of course.

"Hi Damon."

I look up to see Elena's half-sister Amber smiling down at me, her hand on one hip while the other holds a notepad, a flirty smile on her face.

"Amber, you're back to working here?" I ask surprised to see her.

"Yep, it's summer break and I gotta make some cash somehow." She grins and I shrug in agreement.

A couple of years ago, Isobel and her family moved the hour distance from Gladstone to Mystic Falls and Amber had been working at The Grill on and off since she was 17.

"So…is Elena here?" she asks curiously as her eyes flicker briefly across the room.

"No, she's in LA for her best friend's bachelorette party." I explain casually.

"Oh? So she's left you here all alone?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I have Declan." I smile politely as she twirls her finger through her hair.

This girl has had a crush on me since she was 11 years old; the passing 9 and a half years since we met has done nothing to change that, despite the age gap. It drives Elena crazy, I mean sure it was amusing at first when she was just a kid, but as she got older it just got more awkward. I remember when she was 18 and got drunk at a Christmas party, she made a pass at me, which I gently declined of course, but Elena was fuming.

The two of them never really did get that close, and I think there was an edge of competitiveness and jealousy from both sides. In fact, the only time they ever see Amber is at family gatherings or back when she used to work here at The Grill on a more regular basis when she was in High School.

Elena's relationship with James is so much stronger.

"You know, if you're lonely and bored and want some company other than a toddler, I could always come round and keep you company? Maybe help you look after him?"

"Thanks for the offer, Amber, but I'm doing just fine thanks." I send her a fake smile, not missing the look of amusement on Alaric's face from across the table.

"Ok, well if you change your mind, Damon, you know where to find me. Bye Mr Saltzman." She winks at me before wondering off.

"Damn, she still into you?" Alaric chuckles.

"_Apparently_." I roll my eyes. "Don't tell Elena though, she will _not_ be happy."

"Hey," Ric holds his hands up. "I'm not getting involved in that shit, trust me. It's amusing that she thinks she stands a chance though." He chuckles and I shrug.

"What can I say; this body is wanted by women of all ages." I reply smugly. "I'm a desired irresistible man."

Alaric scoffs and shakes his hand. "You sound like an _ass_."

I chuckle and look back over at Declan across the crowded Grill and suddenly I don't like how many people there are around blocking my view. "I'll go grab the kids, the food should be here soon anyway."

I push my way through the crowded bar towards the arcade just in time to see some taller kid push Joey out of the way and then knock Declan straight to the floor with a loud thud.

"Hey!" I shout at him furiously, grabbing his arm and swinging him backwards. "What are you doing?!" I shout at him angrily, watching as he looks at me with wide scared eyes.

Declan breaks out into a wailing cry as he sits on the floor and I immediately let go of the boy and pick him up, cradling him in my arms as I run my hand down his back soothingly. "Get out of here!" I hiss at the other kid who immediately scatters away.

"Daddy!" Declan cries into my shoulder loudly.

I shake my head furiously, hating to see some moron hurt my son, I don't care that he was a kid.

No one hurts my son.

"Ssh, it's ok." I kiss his forehead and push some hair out of his eyes. "You're ok."

"He tried to steal my quarters Uncle Damon!" Joey tells me instantly. "He told me that if I didn't give him them he'd punch me and Dec! So I tried to hit him but he pushed me over." he explains quickly.

"Come on," I sigh, grabbing a hold of the three year olds hand. "Alice! Come back to the table." I order her where she is playing with friends, she pouts sadly and for a moment I think she is going to throw a tantrum but instead she follows me and I lead them back to the table, Declan still in my arms, but his crying has died down to sniffling, Joey's little hand in my spare one.

"Whoa, what happened?" Alaric asks confused and a little concerned as we reach the booth.

"Nothing, just some little punk trying to play the bully on kids half his size." I grunt in annoyance as I sit down with Declan on my lap.

He is still sniffling into my shirt and I run my hand up and down his back comfortingly. "Hey, what do you say after we have dinner we can share a big chocolate sundae, huh?" I ask him softly, watching amused as he slowly nods his head, the tears slowly coming to a stop. "And then we can go home and have a boy's night, just me and you?"

He nods again and I smile and kiss his forehead again. "Sound good buddy?"

"Yes." He replies quietly before speaking up again. "I want Mommy too; can she share it with us?"

I sigh and glance at Ric who shrugs. "She can't Dec, remember, she's visiting your Aunt Caroline far away."

"But she always kiss me better." He pouts, his little fist clinging tightly to my sweatshirt.

"Well, how about I try instead huh? Where does it hurt?"

"Here," he lifts up his elbow and I frown seeing the small red graze from where he must have landed on the rough carpet in the arcade. I lift up his arm and kiss it softly, before blowing a raspberry on it and he immediately squeals and squirms in my arms with a giggle.

"Daddy!"

"What?" I ask innocently. "Is that not how Mommy does it?" he shakes his head as a no and I do it again, laughing as he pulls a face but there is laughter coming from his lips and it's one of my most favorite sounds in the world.

"Daddy you silly!" he shakes his head at me and I chuckle and turn him around so he is facing the table, just as our food arrives.

We make small chatter as we eat, and I watch amused as Alaric attempts to stop Joey and Alice from arguing on either side of him.

Once dinner is eaten and the kids have had their sundaes, I call it a night with Declan who is immediately starting to get sleepy on my shoulder and we make the short walk home.

I go to walk to his bedroom but he immediately starts to cry and insists to sleep in my bed tonight, and for once I happily agree, what's one night out of his usual routine? Besides, I hate sleeping in that bed without Elena by my side so at least he'll make me feel better.

Once I've changed him into his PJs and made sure he was all settled for bed, I walked into my bathroom and changed into my sweatpants and took my shirt off before crawling into bed beside him, pushing some of his messy brown hair out of his face to kiss his forehead.

I notice my phone flash on the bedside table beside me and I smile when I see a text from Elena.

_**Sweet dreams, give Declan a  
kiss from me. I love you xxx**_

I send a quick reply, before placing my phone down and lying back onto the pillow, staring up at the darkness, realizing that it's not even that late but I don't mind.

I think back to my New York days, even after college was over with and Elena and I still lived there, there was rarely a night when we went to bed to _sleep_ before at least 1am. Instead we'd be at clubs or bars or jazz bars or lock ins, exploring the crazy night life that the city had to offer and when we did stay in, we made the most of our time together until sleep did eventually take over us in the early hours.

Three years ago, I would have said that the 7 years we spent living in New York were the best times of my life.

Now however, I know that this is what my life really should be like. I don't care that it's only 10:30pm and I'm lying in bed about to sleep in small town America.

The only thing missing is Elena, but this is when I'm happiest.

With my wife and my son.

And I know that _this time_, these two and a half years since Declan was born; have been the best times of my life to date, living every day with my beautiful wife and my cute and adorable beyond words baby boy.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know, it always inspires me to write more and to keep updating fast :)**

**Also, if anyone has any requests on a chapter they would like to see, please let me know and I will see if I can fit it in!**

**Thank you!**

**Until next time :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**As promised here is the second part of the last chapter!**

**I am in a major rush so am quickly uploading this chapter so I have not had a chance to proof read at all so apologies in advance for any bad grammar or spelling mistakes! **

* * *

"Wow! Who is _that_?" Lo, who is Caroline's old roommate and also a bridesmaid to her wedding comes up beside her with wide eyes and a flirtatious smile on her face.

"_That _is Damon, Elena's husband and Stefan's brother." Caroline laughs at her friend's expression as she watches Elena practically skip across the lobby to where Damon is stood with his suitcase and what looks like a very sleepy Declan in his arms, completely ignoring what Lo just said but Caroline is pretty sure she heard it. "So don't get any ideas, I know what you're like!"

"Damn, why are all the hot guys taken?" she whines. "Does he have another brother? I want a Salvatore man!"

"Sorry, that's it I'm afraid." She smirks. "Unless you want Giuseppe? He's like 80 or something but he's loaded so at least you'd get diamonds." She teases.

"Hey, don't even tempt me, the way my finances are looking right now that sounds like an almost appealing offer."

"You're unbelievable!" Caroline laughs and elbows her before walking over to the small group who has just arrived.

She gets there just in time to hear Damon and Elena gushing about how much they have missed each other and she almost slams their heads together, and if it wasn't for the cute little toddler who is now in Elena's arms, his head resting tiredly against her shoulder, she is pretty sure she would have.

This is _her_ wedding weekend, all the cutesy couple stuff should be coming from her and Stefan only!

"Damon, glad you could finally make it."

"Caroline." He smirks at her. "Always an _absolute_ pleasure." His voice is dripping with sarcasm and she rolls her eyes but nudges him with a teasing smile as she pushes past him to go and greet Jeremy and Alaric as well as little Alice and Joseph.

"I am never going away without him again." Elena kisses the top of Declan's head a dozen times as she rocks him slowly in her arms, his little arms wrapped around her neck as he rests sleepily into her shoulder.

Damon chuckles and picks up his case, motioning for Elena to start walking and they leave everyone else to make their way towards the elevator.

"He needs his sleep, I wanted him to nap on the plane but he was wide awake. Him and Joey together are like the energizer bunnies." He smiles as he watches Elena press the button to the floor they have their room on.

He watches as the door goes to close shut but a skinny hand immediately stops it and he watches as a young girl with long blonde hair smiles before stepping inside.

"Hi Elena." She smiles at his wife politely before giving him the once over.

"Lo." Elena greets back distractedly as Declan squirms in her arms.

"And you must be Damon Salvatore?" she holds out her hand just as the door closes and he smiles politely.

"That's right, nice to meet you." He shakes her hand quickly before running it soothingly down Declan's back as he starts to fuss.

"Sssh baby, almost there." Elena whispers into his ear softly.

"I'm Lo, one of Caroline's bridesmaids." The girl doesn't seem to get the message that they have a tired and fussy toddler to deal with.

"I think we should put him down on the double bed with us, I don't want him to roll off if he is on the single alone." Elena completely ignores Caroline's other bridesmaid as she strokes Declan's hair affectionately but he squirms and starts to cry.

"Want me to take him?"

"No it's ok, I've got him." She smiles softly at him before pressing a kiss on her son's forehead, as she begins to rock him gently. "Sssh, go to sleep baby, it's ok."

"He tired?" Lo comments as she finally acknowledges the toddler.

"Yeah, long flight." He explains distractedly as he watches Elena soothe him and before he knows it he hears the heavy breathing of his son and he smiles at his wife as he sleeps on her shoulder.

"He's a cutie."

"He is." He agrees. "Just like his Mom." He smirks at Elena who rolls her eyes slightly but he sees amusement in her eyes.

"So, Damon, I hear you're the best man?"

"That's right."

"You know, it's a shame you're married because it's a wedding tradition of mine to have some fun with the best man at weddings whenever I'm bridesmaid." She twirls some of her hair in her finger and he blinks at her with wide eyes, unsure if she's joking or not because there is no way a normal human being would have the audacity to say that to a happily married man who is standing right next to his wife.

But then again, if she is friends with Caroline Forbes, he doubts she is normal.

Elena doesn't fall into that category since she's been friends with her from childhood, he tells himself.

Elena gapes at her in disbelief because she has absolutely no shame, but she knows it's best not to indulge her because she is probably after an reaction.

She has been grinding on her nerves all week.

"Well, I hear that it's tradition for the best man to hook up with the maid of honor." He replies with a half smirk. "And I'm already _tapping that_."

He hears Elena laugh beside him and he watches as Lo's smile falters slightly.

"Such a shame."

"Excuse me?" Elena speaks up coldly and is about to argue further but the elevator rings and the doors open and they have reached their floor.

"Come on." He puts his hand on Elena's back and practically pushes her out of the elevator, his other hand pulling his suitcase behind him.

"It was lovely meeting you, Damon!" Lo calls out after him and he just ignores her as he follows Elena down the hall.

"Ok, what was that about?" he asks amused.

"She's a slut." Elena informs him simply and he laughs as they reach their room and Elena slides the key through.

"You two didn't hit it off then?" he asks quietly as Elena heads straight to the main bedroom of the suite and lays Declan down in the middle. He watches with a smile as she takes off his jeans before lifting up the blanket and putting it over his hand, kissing his forehead softly and whispering an 'I love you'.

She is such a wonderful mother; it was like she was born to be one. She cares for and nurtures Declan so much that it literally makes his heart swell and it's simple moments like this, when she is putting him to bed, when he questions how he got so lucky.

Elena follows him out of the bedroom and into the main room before finally wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a hug which he knows she has needed all week.

"God I have missed you so much." She sighs into his chest as he wraps her arms around her tightly, his head leaning down to kiss the top of her own through her soft hair. "And to answer your earlier question, I can barely stand her; she has been making digs at me and Bonnie all week. I'm not just saying this, but I really think she's jealous that she wasn't asked to be maid of honor."

"You are a person to be jealous of." He teases. "You're stunning, and beautiful and amazing and have a really really _hot_ husband, of course she's jealous!" He smirks and he feels her shake with laughter against him.

"Shut up." It comes out muffled from against his chest. "I just realised I barely even said hello to my brother and Ric." She pulls back. "Crap, I should probably go and find them."

"Don't be silly." He smiles at her because that is something _such _an Elena thing to say. "They know they'll see you tomorrow. It's late and they probably just wanted to get settled in as much as you did with us."

"True." She agrees before pulling away with a smile. "You know, I could really use a hot bath right now."

"Oh really?" he raises his eyebrow at her with a smirk.

"Mhm." She smiles at him playfully before stepping back out of his grasp and tugging at his hand, pulling him along towards the large bathroom and he reminds himself to thank his brother tomorrow when he sees him for deciding to have his wedding at a really fancy hotel with a really fancy bathroom and a really big bath tub.

* * *

Stepping out of the bath, Elena wraps her towel around her before looking back over at her shoulder with a smirk on her face as Damon still lays in the bath with a lazy smile as he watches her.

"You not getting out?" she asks while placing one of her hands on her hips.

"Just enjoying the view." He grins.

"Hmm." She walks backwards towards the door. "I'm just going to check on our son, and hopefully when I get back you'll help me make use of that single bed in the other room." She winks at him before leaving and the second she closes the door behind her Damon jumps out of the water, quickly pulling the plug and grabbing a towel to wrap around his lower body on the small chance that Declan is awake.

He can't help the excited smile that crosses his lips as he walks into the other room in the suite where a single bed is placed in the middle. He runs his hand through his damp hair before grabbing a spare towel and wiping off all the droplets from his chest, he's distracted by that which is why he jumps when he feels a hand glide down his back and his towel being tugged off him, falling straight to the floor leaving him completely naked.

"Declan is fast asleep." Elena wraps her arms around him from behind before pressing a slow soft kiss between his shoulder blades.

"Good." He sighs blissfully before turning around, eying her with a smirk. "We'll be needing to get rid of this then." He pulls at her towel and watches as it lands to the floor with a soft thud.

"Oh?" Elena raises her eyebrow at him. "Now I'm cold."

"Well we're just going to have to find a way to warm you up, aren't we?" and before she can reply, he has her flipped around and pushed backwards onto the bed, her head hitting the soft pillows as he crawls on top of her.

She giggles blissfully before letting out a soft moan as he trails kisses up her bare stomach and then between the valley of her breasts and she gasps as one of his hands slides up her inner thigh, his kisses reaching her neck before finally landing on her lips.

"I love you," he murmurs against his lips as his other hand cups her face.

"I love you too." She smiles genuinely at him, her hands sliding down his back. "So much, and I want nothing more than to have another baby with you." She gasps as his hand slides higher up her thigh before cupping her centre. "Oh god." She scrunches her eyes closed and Damon smirks to himself before slipping two fingers inside of her. "Damon, oh God." She gasps with a shaky voice. "Please, just…you've been teasing me all night…" she shudders against him. "Please."

"As you wish beautiful." He kisses her softly before removing his fingers and spreading her legs before thrusting inside of her.

They move at a steady pace, kisses being stolen and touches being made and when they reach their climax together Damon lands on top of her breathlessly, his face lying in the crook of her neck as she strokes her fingers through his hair lazily.

"God, this is like being in college all over again." Damon mumbles amused as he tries to roll off her but can barely land on his side without the danger of falling off the bed.

Elena giggles at some of the memories they had trying to make use of a single bed during their freshman year at college, as well as trying to get rid of their roommates. They went through some challenges, that's for sure.

"Do you remember the time we were in the middle of doing it and Kevin walked in." he smirks evilly and she blushes at the memory.

Kevin was Damon's roommate in his freshman year, to say they were completely different people would be an understatement. Kevin was a fully committed Christian, who also believed in sex after marriage, so to say he disapproved of their sexual relationship would be putting it lightly.

She was so relieved when he moved out to live with Will and Bryan.

"Didn't he leave you pamphlets the next day about how casual sex is a sin?" she giggles as she rolls onto her side to give Damon more room as he shuffles closer against her, his arm wrapping around her naked waist as she lazily traces her fingers up and down his bare arm, the two of them lying on their sides facing each other.

"I think he would have a heartache if he knew about half of the things we got up too while he was sleeping." He grins devilishly and she rolls her eyes.

"Don't, I still kinda feel bad."

"Oh come on, he was a prude."

"You teased the hell out of him." She reminds him. "You were borderline mean to him."

"Hey, I have no issue with people who are religious and believe in that sort of thing, what I don't agree with is people who try and push their opinions and views onto other people, that's the only reason I deliberately would flaunt some things around him." He smirks.

"I think he genuinely believed that you were the devil."

"I left your underwear under his pillow once."

"What!" Elena gasps loudly and looks at him with wide eyes. "You did not!"

"I did." He chuckles amused. "And when he found it, it was that hot pink lacy one by the way, well, he flushed bright red." He smirks at the memory. "I pretended to know nothing about it and accused him of smelling it when I wasn't looking."

"Oh my god!" Elena gawps. "You are evil!"

"You should have seen his face, it was hilarious!" he laughs proudly. "I swear he had a crush on you, and it was only confirmed by how bright red his face went when I accused him of stealing them."

Elena can't help the smile that creeps onto her face as she thinks about it. "Ok fine, that is a little funny. But I'm only condoning it because I still haven't forgiven him for the time he pretty much locked me in your room to preach to me that I shouldn't let boys use my body like a toy." She rolls her eyes. "To this day he probably still believes that we were never in a serious relationship. I mean honestly, we'd been together for a year, and he thought we were casual."

"He was an idiot." Damon chuckles. "But I kinda miss the guy, in a weird way."

"Me too." She agrees with a smile before leaning forward and kissing him softly. "Hmm." She sighs against his mouth. "I am so happy you are here. I missed you this week."

"Me too." He smiles softly at her and its times like this when he wonders how he got so lucky.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Shit." Elena quickly jumps out of bed and he groans in annoyance before quickly picking up a t-shirt of his that was discarded earlier in the evening.

"Here." He hands it to her as she looks around frantically for her towel. "Go, I'll catch you up."

She slips on his shirt that instantly covers her, before leaving the room and walking into the main bedroom to see her son sat up in the bed with dry tears around his eyes.

"Momma." He sniffles when he sees her.

"What's wrong baby?" she immediately rushes towards him and wraps her arms around him, his little hands clinging onto her tightly as she sits him on her lip, rocking him slowly.

"I got scared." He tells her softly as he rests his head against her chest.

"Sorry baby, we're here now." She kisses his forehead and looks up as Damon walks into the room in just a pair of shorts.

"Hey little man." Damon sits beside them on the bed and immediately reaches out to push some of Declan's hair from his face. "You had a bad dream?"

Declan nods his head silently.

"You want to sleep in here with me and your Mommy tonight?"

"Yes." He replies softly and lets out another shaky sniffle. Elena smiles and stands up, still holding Declan in her arms before placing him in the middle of the bed and climbing in beside him, Damon walking around the other side of the bed and getting in the other side of him.

He shuffles closer and wraps an arm around them both, his hand landing on Elena's hip and he briefly leans up to kiss her quickly over Declan before pressing a soft kiss on his sons forehead.

"Sweet dreams." Elena whispers into the darkness.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, you are just too adorable beyond words! I can't even…" Elena gushes as Damon walks into the room with Declan in his arms.

Damon chuckles as Elena practically runs towards them, immediately stealing Declan from his arms and balancing him on her hip. "Hi baby!"

"Momma, I be looking for you!" Declan wraps his little arms around Elena's neck as she presses numerous kisses against his cheek.

He is dressed in a little black tuxedo, his bow tie wrapped wonkily around his neck and she immediately moves it back in place with a smile.

It's obvious that it was Damon who dressed him this morning.

But he looks absolutely adorable and her heart just melts at the sight.

"He's handsome huh? Just like his Daddy." Damon smirks at her and she smiles back before leaning up and giving him a soft kiss on his lips.

"Just like his Daddy." She agrees as she then reaches up and straightens up his own bow tie. "So, how are you feeling best man? You have the rings, right?" she asks him quietly before glancing back behind her into the hectic hotel suite where Caroline is getting dressed.

"Of course." He smiles and runs his hand down her bare arm. "You look absolutely breath-taking by the way." He compliments her honestly as he looks her up and down in her bridesmaid dress and his smile widens as that familiar blush creeps onto her cheeks.

"Thank you." She smiles almost shyly and he leans down and kisses her slowly on the cheek, his hand landing on Declan's back as he shuffles in her arms.

"Mommy?"

"Yes handsome?" she turns her attention back to her son.

"I have a secwet." He grins at her and again her heart just melts as his cute smile.

"Oh yeah?" she bounces him up and down slightly. "What kind of secret?"

"Daddy told me not to tell you." He tells her while glancing back at Damon who lets out an exaggerated gasp.

"Declan! What's going on buddy? I thought we stuck together!" he presses his hand against his chest.

"Mommy said never keep a secwet from my Momma."

"And Dec always listens to Mommy." Elena finishes for him with a smirk as she eyes Damon questionably. "So, what did Daddy tell you not to tell me?"

Declan lifts his little hands and cups them around Elena's ears before whispering, well, trying to whisper, but it just comes out loudly anyway. "I got ice cweam for breakfast!" he giggles naughtily before looking back at Damon. "And Daddy said that if I good, I can have it before my stowies too."

"Oh did he now?"

"Declan, you and I are going to have some serious words son." He ruffles up his hair but Elena immediately slaps his hand away.

"Do _not_ mess up his hair! The wedding is starting soon!"

"Sorry." He smiles sweetly at her before linking their fingers together. "So how does this whole thing work anyway? I'm supposed to trust my two year old son with the rings?"

"Yes." She tells him for the millionth time. "He's ring bearer."

"It just sounds like an excuse to exploit my kid." Damon huffs. "I don't think he would want that kind of pressure."

"Oh come on," Elena rolls her eyes amused. "You _love_ showing him off, what better way than him walking down the aisle dressed in his little tuxedo looking absolutely adorable." She looks down at Declan who is still sat comfortably on her hip, his arms wrapped around her neck.

"He does look adorable." He grins proudly. "You make cute babies, Gilbert."

"Um, _Salvatore_." She looks at him offended and he lets out a laugh.

"Sorry, _Mrs Salvatore_." He winks at her.

"What is this?!" they both turn around to see Caroline marching towards them, her hands on her hips once she stops.

Her wedding dress flowing beautifully down her.

"No boys allowed!" she scolds him. "Damon, get out!"

"He was just dropping off Declan, Care." Elena defends him immediately but Damon just smirks.

"Or maybe I was stopping by to let you know that the groom has made a run for it." He smirks wickedly. "Cold feet."

"WHAT!" Caroline shrieks hysterically with wide eyes.

"Damon!" Elena punches him in the arm, a warning look on her face.

"I'm _kidding_!"

"You're an _ass_!"

"Hey." Elena quickly covers Declan's ear with her spare hand. "Little ears!"

"Sorry." Caroline huffs before taking note of their son for the first time. "Wow, he does look adorable, Elena!" she closes the gap between them. "Aren't you a little cutie!" she pinches his cheek, causing Declan to giggle but squirm out of her grasp.

"He's not a dog, Caroline." Damon rolls his eyes but stops the second Elena's glare hits him.

"What is your purpose, Damon?"

"I'm best man."

"Right. So why are you _here_, in the bridal suite? Huh? Leave!"

"Urgh, you're so not fun, Caroline. I can't believe you're about to be a Salvatore."

"Well I can't believe I'm about to be your sister in-law. Yuck! And you better not have pulled off a stunt with Stefan like you did on your own wedding day!" she accuses him and he smiles and shakes his head, smirking at the memory.

That was not a fun time. He had to give lots of sexual favours to Elena and a lot of grovelling for a whole month before she forgave him for what happened on the morning of their wedding.

But at least they can laugh about it now.

"Can't you two ever give it a rest?" Elena interrupts them.

"Nope." Damon smirks and winks at her best friend. "She loves me really."

"Oh yeah, totally." Caroline glares at him but there is humor in her eyes. "Now seriously, _go_, we have a wedding to finish getting ready for!" she turns around and walks back towards the flutter of excited women.

"Ok, ok." Damon holds his hands up before quickly leaning over and kissing Elena softly on the lips. "Again, beautiful." He murmurs against her mouth before turning to kiss Declan on the forehead.

"And _you_, behave for your Mommy, ok? And don't drop the rings!" he wiggles his eyebrows playfully before handing Elena the box containing Stefan and Caroline's wedding rings.

"Thanks," she smiles gratefully at him before kissing him again. "See you soon then."

"On the flip side." He winks jokingly at her before leaving the suite.

* * *

"Ok, now remember what we went through?" Elena is crouched down on the ground so she is eye level with her toddler.

"Hold this still and walk to Daddy." Declan replies with a smile as he holds a silk cushion in his hands, the rings resting securely on top.

"That's right." She smiles and kisses him on the cheek, her hand resting on the other side of his face gently. "And if you want to hold my hand, I'll be right behind you, ok?."

"I don't need to hold your hand Momma, I a big boy." He says confidently.

"I know sweetie." Elena grins before standing up, her hand automatically falling to his shoulder as he stands by her leg in the cluster of bridesmaids.

"Is everyone in their places?" The wedding planner rushes into the holding area where everyone is gathered and she smiles because she can't imagine the amount of work and stress that would go into planning Caroline Forbes wedding.

Elena watches with a smile as Caroline enters the room on her Dad's arm, her white dress flowing down her beautiful and she sends a wide smile in her direction before the doors open and she motions for Declan to make his way up the aisle, making sure that she is very close behind him just in case things go awry.

The way Caroline was acting earlier, she would not put it past her to shout at a two year old.

Damon watches with a wide proud grin as Declan walks slowly up the aisle, the cushion resting in both of his hands as he has a look of pure concentration on his face as he gets closer, and he hears the _aw_ noises and the whispers of how cute he is from the other guest and he feels another wave of pride hit him.

He chuckles at the serious look on his sons face before gazing at Elena behind him acting as bridesmaid. He smiles smugly as he takes in her beauty, because she does look simply flawless and even though he wouldn't dare say it to her face, she is totally overshadowing Caroline.

He walks down the three steps from the top of room where Stefan and the rest of the groom's party is stood along with the minister to greet his son.

"Thank you Dec." he leans down and picks up the rings, kissing him on the forehead and standing back up before taking his hand, quickly sneaking a quick kiss to Elena's lips before they separate to walk back to their rightful positions after he escorts Declan to his seat at the posh wooden chairs where Jeremy is waiting for him in the front row.

He hands Stefan the rings and pats him on the back just in time to turn around to see Caroline begin her walk up the aisle, he turns his attention away back to Elena who is standing across from him, a wide smile on her face as she watches her best friend.

Almost like she can sense him, she turns her gaze slightly and her deep brown doe eyes land on his and he can't help but smirk. He watches with a giddy feeling in his stomach as her smile widens and she winks at him and he mouths the words "I love you," which she quickly returns.

Throughout the ceremony he barely takes his eyes off Elena, he performs his duties as best man and hands Stefan the rings when appropriate, but as soon as he is back in his position his eyes are back on his beautiful wife.

"Did you even watch any of that?" Elena murmurs quietly as she loops her arm through his and the two of them walk back down the aisle together.

"Just the _really_ important parts." He replies with a smirk. "My attention was needed elsewhere."

"Mhmm." Elena glances at him sideways. "You were distracting me."

"I just have one of those faces." He teases as they walk out of the main hall and watch as Caroline and Stefan give each other sweet kisses and he almost gags.

"Don't even say anything." Elena warns him before he can even open his mouth and he smiles and leans down to kiss her slowly.

"Wow, it is like couple central over here." Lo interrupts them. "I hate being single."

Elena rolls her eyes slightly and he just smiles at her before kissing her quickly on the lips again. "Come on, let's go kidnap the ring bearer, he was cute." He wiggles his eyebrows at her.

"Do you think his parents will mind?" she grins teasingly, her hand slipping into his.

"Nah, I hear they are trying for another one anyway." He smirks.

"We best take him then; it'll be for the best."

"Exactly." They walk into the reception function room where all the guests are now gathered and Elena makes a direct beeline to Jenna who is holding their son, pulling Damon along behind her. "There he is!" she gushes and immediately pulls him from Jenna's arms.

"Mommy I did it." He grins proudly.

"Yes you did, and you were amazing." She pushes back some fallen hair from his face.

"You totally outshone the bride and the groom buddy, well done, high five!" Damon holds out his hand and Declan immediately hits his little one against it.

"Mommy me hungry." He presses his hand against Elena's cheek to get her full attention.

"We'll be having food soon sweetie."

"But me hungry now." He pouts just as Caroline and Stefan make their entrance, distracting everyone as they cheer and clap as they walk into the dining room.

"Come on you," Damon picks Declan out of Elena's arms. "Let's go see if they have any snacks around here. We'll be right back." He leans down and kisses her cheek before taking off through the hall for some snacks to appease the two year old. Normally he would say a firm no and wait until dinner, but he doesn't know how long this thing is going to go on for and the last thing he wants to deal with is a fussy toddler in a wedding reception.

The rest of the reception went by without a hitch, and they spent the rest of the night mingling with old friends, dancing and enjoying the free chocolate fountain. Declan especially enjoyed that last option, as anyone could tell from the stains around his mouth and on his expensive white shirt.

Damon smiles as he watches Elena dance with Declan on the dance floor, he is in her arms as her other hand holds us as they waltz around the floor with wide smiles on their faces and his smile widens when he hears his sons giggle echo across the room to where he is stood by the bar.

He takes a sip from his bourbon, praying that it doesn't take too long for him and Elena to have another child. He hopes it's a girl, so he can have one of each and a little Elena running around the place, but then he hopes it's a boy, because he wants Declan to have the brother bond that he should have had with Stefan growing up, but what they do have now as adults, even if it was so many years late.

He knows that either way, he will be blessed, because right now, watching Elena dance with their son, happy wide smiles on their faces as she spins him around, he knows that he is absolutely the luckiest man on the planet.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Please review and let me know your thoughts and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you're awesome!**

**Until next time :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Feel This Moment**

******Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries**.

**I had such a pain editing this chapter, was almost finished with all my spelling and grammar mistakes plus adding extra into it before my laptop crashed before I saved it and I had to do it all over again! Beyond annoying, and I don't know if I spotted all the mistakes I had spotted the first time around so hopefully it's still ok!**

**This chapter is set when Elena is 22 and Damon 23 and it's set in October, after the summer they graduated from college.**

* * *

"Oh my god, are my eyes deceiving me? Little Elena Gilbert?"

I freeze slightly as I hear that recognizable voice, I slowly turnaround from my place at the bar and my eyes widen when I see a face I haven't seen in _years_.

"OH my god! Mason!" I look at him shocked.

"I knew it was you! Come here girl!" he wraps his arms around me tightly and I hug him back, still not quite believing that it's really him standing in front of me right now.

I haven't seen Mason in nearly seven years, not since I was 15 and he graduated high school and left town later that summer without a word.

Mason Lockwood was the boy next door. I had the biggest crush on him growing up, something that I'm almost certain he knew about, but he was three years older than me and always saw me as the child that I was. Ever since I could remember he always used to tease me but look out for me just the same, I remember my freshman year of High School when some idiot junior knocked my food tray out of my hands, Mason was straight by my side and was warning him away from me, the boy immediately apologizing and Mason made him buy me lunch.

When I was eight, I fell out of Matt's tree house and hurt my leg and an eleven year old Mason carried me all the way home.

He always looked out for me, and we'd always been friends but pretty much as soon as he finished High School he disappeared out of Mystic Falls without another word.

Despite the fact that I was 'dating' Matt at the time, I felt a little heartbroken, especially since he didn't even say goodbye or tell me that he was leaving. Of course, I know now that it was simply nothing but a childhoold crush.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" I gape at him as I eye him up and down. Wow, he has changed. "I can see that _someone_ has been hitting the gym!"

"And I can also see that _someone_ still isn't eating enough, you skinny thing!"

I roll my eyes slightly with a smile and punch him in the shoulder and for a moment it feels just like old times and that we'd never been apart.

"Hey lady, your drinks!"

"Oh, sorry." I turn back around to the barman and hand him some notes before picking up my tray of drinks. "Let me take these back to my table and I'll come back and we can catch up?" I suggest and he nods his head with a smile and I quickly wonder back across the crowded bar to my friends.

"Who is _that_?" Charlotte asks with wide eyes as she motions to Mason who is stood by the bar watching us with a grin.

"That is Mason Lockwood, he's an old friend from home." I smile.

"Remind me to visit this so called small town in Virginia, if they are producing men like _that_, your brother _and_ Damon Salvatore's!" Lisa, a friend from college smirks at me and I roll my eyes. "Girl, bring him over!"

"Later, we need to catch up first." I laugh taking a step back from the table.

"Ok, but don't be greedy! You already have your hot guy, share the love!" Lisa teases me and I send her a mocking glare before wondering back over to the bar, my drink in my hand.

"So, what are you doing in New York?" Mason asks curiously as we sit next to each other on stools at the bar, Mason swung around on his chair so he is facing me.

"I live here." I state with a smile and watch as his eyes widen surprised. "Why does that shock you?" I ask amused.

"I just thought you'd be one of those girls who stayed in Mystic Falls, marry the quarterback, have three kids and a dog." He smirks. "Living the high life in New York City? Never pictured it." he tells me with a smirk on his lips.

"Well, I'm not that little girl you used to know." I smile as I take a sip from my drink and he whistles and nods his head in agreement. "So, what about you? Do you live here?"

"Nope. Just visiting an old buddy of mine, I live in Miami."

"Miami huh?" I question with a smile. "Please don't tell me you've turned into one of those surfer guys!"

"Hey, I'll have you know that I like to hit a few waves from time to time, you should come down and visit, I will teach you."

"Actually, I already know how to surf." I smile. "I just spent two months in Australia and I may have had a few dozen lessons, it is the surfing capital of the world you know. It would have been rude not too." I tell him almost cockily.

"Two months in Australia? Wow." Mason looks at me surprised. "That sounds amazing."

"It was." I grin thinking back to it. "I'd love to go back."

"Maybe I should be the one asking _you_ for lessons then." He chuckles while taking a sip from his beer and I take a sip out of my own glass. I watch as his eyes flutter down slightly before landing on my hand. "Oh wow, is that what I think it is?" he asks surprised and I get that giddy feeling in my stomach as I lift up my left hand.

"It certainly is." I smile widely as I glance at the diamond ring on my finger.

"Elena Gilbert!" he shakes his head at me in disbelief. "Please don't tell me the guy I'm going to have to threaten to kick his ass if he hurts you lives in Australia? I'd rather not book a flight that far but I will be willing to do it!"

"Shut up." I roll my eyes with a smile. "He's not Australian. Actually, you probably know him."

"Oh?" he looks at me surprised. "Is he from Mystic Falls?"

"Yup."

"Who the hell from Mystic Falls is brave enough to leave their Mom's suburban house for the big apple?" he looks at me with a smirk. "Whoever it is, I'm sure he isn't good enough for you anyway."

"Well you would say that." I roll my eyes with a smile.

"So?" he asks eagerly. "Who is it? Oh god, it's not that Matt Donovan guy is it?" he practically groans and I laugh and shake my head.

"No! But be nice, Matt is a good guy. He's married now you know." I smile.

"Of course he is! I bet he has kids too."

I shrug with a smile, thinking back to the picture messages I got from him a year back holding his cute little baby girl in his arms.

"He does doesn't he?" Mason chuckles and I nod my head. "Wow, good to know some things don't change. So…who is it? Stefan Salvatore? Tyler mentioned you two were dating last time we spoke."

"_That_ was the last time you spoke to Tyler?" I asked surprised. "Jesus Mase, that was a _long_ time ago."

Mason smiles and shrugs casually. "So, it's not Stefan?"

"Wrong Salvatore." I grin and I watch as he frowns slightly. "Oh come on, it's not going to be Giuseppe is it!"

"Damon?"

"Yep." I smile widely and watch as he looks at me with wide eyes. "What? Oh come on, I knew I was all picture perfect before you left Mystic Falls but people change, I'm not that 15 year old girl anymore."

"You can't blame me for being surprised." He exhales. "I mean… _Damon _Salvatore?" he shakes his head. "I'd never have pictured it…"

I frown, feeling a little deflated at his reaction. Living in New York for the past five years made me forget sometimes that people from my home town judge my fiancé on his past antics. Here he is just _Damon, n_ot Damon who was involved in a shooting, or Damon who stole their uncle's car, or stole their little brother's lunch money.

"So, is he still a Class A dickhead?" Mason smirks at me and I scowl at him immediately.

"_No_." I glare at him in annoyance and I watch as the smile immediately fades from his face.

"I'm kidding! Geez, even I know that people can change, I'm just surprised that that _people_ involves Damon Salvatore."

"Well he has changed." I tell him firmly. "And I love him, and he treats me well, no, he treats me like a princess and…well…I can't wait to marry him." I tell him honestly with a smile, that giddy excited feeling creeping back into my stomach.

"Well then I'm happy for you, Elena." He smiles softly at me and reaches his hand across to land on my hand, stroking his thumb against my knuckles slowly for a moment. "Let's get a drink to celebrate!" he swings around in his chair and calls over the bartender. "Can I get two glasses of your finest champagne? Actually no, make that the bottle!"

"Mason!"

"What?" he turns his head to face me and winks. "This is a celebration, little Gilbert is getting married!"

The bartender returns with a bottle of expensive looking champagne and two glasses and I watch as Mason pours me a glass and hands it over to me.

"Cheers." He taps his glass against mine and I roll my eyes before taking a sip.

I hear my phone beep twice from my purse and I open it up and smile to see a text from Damon.

_**How is your girls night  
going beautiful? I miss you x**_

_**Going good, I ran into  
my old neighbor. Do you  
remember Mason Lockwood?  
Ps, miss you too xxx**_

I don't wait long for Damon's reply.

_**Yes. The guy is an asshole.  
Don't give him the time of  
day x**_

_**Well he bought me champagne  
to celebrate our engagement.  
He's sweet, and an old friend. Xxx**_

_**He bought you champagne?  
Do you need me to come down  
there and show him your ring  
again? **_

_**Damon, he's being nice! Behave  
yourself. Enjoy your boys night  
in. I'll see you tomorrow. I love  
you xxx  
**_

We talk for a while about old memories of our childhood, laughing at different moments in our lives and the champagne keeps on flowing.

"So…" I watch as Mason sighs slightly. "I heard about what happened with Katherine Pierce."

I frown slightly thinking back to that memory because it feels like _so_ long ago, almost like everything that happened with Klaus and Kol happened in a completely different lifetime.

"You know we used to date, right?" he sighs and looks down at the bar sadly.

"Oh god yes of course!" I reach my hand out and touch his arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry Mason, I completely forgot."

How the hell did I forget about that? I remember they dated for about a year when they were young, I remember because even though I was 12 years old at the time, I _hated_ Katherine because of it and I was so happy when they broke up.

"I know we were just kids but…she was a big part of my teenage years and when I heard what happened…" he shakes his head. "I was so angry that she would get herself involved with that gang bullshit and with those boys. I hated Damon and Klaus, and Elijah and Finn too and it makes me so angry to think that if she hadn't of gotten involved with either of them, or if we hadn't of broken up, then she'd probably still be alive."

I gulp slightly feeling a little uncomfortable at the change of direction of this conversation

"We only dated a year, and we were only just kids, I mean she was a freshman and I was a junior and when we broke up, I hated that she started hanging about with Klaus Mikaelson, I knew all through my senior year that they had a _thing_ going on." He shakes his head. "I told her so many times to stay away from him, that I knew his brother Elijah and that he was trouble, the whole family were. She never listened to me though, but after they broke up we hooked up again."

"You did?" I ask surprised. I didn't know about that.

"We spent pretty much the entire summer together after my senior year and before I moved to Miami, but when school started up again, she went back to playing mind games and I wasn't interested in all of that, especially if it was going to be long distance. She was in too deep with Klaus and his gang, and when I found out a year later that she was dating _Damon_; I knew that something bad was going to happen. I just didn't think it would be _that_." He shakes his head in disbelief. "She was just a girl, Elena, she wasn't a bad person, she just involved with the _wrong_ people and now she's dead because of it." He hisses bitterly.

I stay silent at his rant, because it wouldn't be fair for me to try and defend Damon to him, because Damon knows that what happened that night was wrong, he knows that he should never have gotten involved with Katherine, he feels enough guilt about it as it is. But I also stay silent and bite my tongue because an even bigger part of me wants to scream at him that Katherine is far from innocent, that she manipulated Damon and used him, hell she even manipulated Klaus, she was the one who played them both against each other in the lead up to that fateful night.

As callous and harsh as it sounds because no one deserves to die like that, she brought it upon herself.

"Sorry sorry." Mason shakes his head. "Ignore me, I'm drunk and reminiscing, I know that Damon is your fiancé, I shouldn't be saying things like that to you."

"No it's ok." I force a sympathetic smile. "You have every right to feel the way you do."

"I just don't understand it, Elena." He looks at me and I can tell immediately that he's on his way to being drunk. "What the hell do you see in him?"

I shake my head. "Mason don't…"

"No I'm serious Lena, sure people change, but they don't change _that_ much. The Elena I used to know would never even dream to go near a guy like Damon Salvatore, and yet here you are about to marry him."

"So much has happened since you left Mystic Falls, Mason." I tell him calmly, trying my hardest not to get angry. "You may never understand it, but Damon has changed so much, he has become someone who I would trust with my life, I do trust him with my life, and I love him." I smile slightly. "I'm sorry that you find it hard to believe, but he's not the same boy that you remember him to be. Katherine getting killed…it changed him, and there is more to what happened between the three of them that anyone will ever know, they were all in the wrong, they were all to blame and Damon knows that, he's accepted his responsibility for his part in what happened to her."

The only reason that Katherine was even there that night was too help Klaus, she was about to run away with him for God's sake! Sometimes I wish that I could scream that Katherine wasn't there for Damon, that it wasn't his fault that she was there and then got shot, but I know that Katherine's affair with Klaus never really became public knowledge.

"Ok I'm sorry." He holds his hands up and sends me a smile that takes me back to when he was just a kid. "Enough of the serious chit chat, let's get back to old embarrassing stories and finish off this champagne!" he pours me another glass despite my protests and I smile and shake my head.

"Ok fine." I give in with a smile. "But don't you dare order another bottle!"

He ordered another bottle.

* * *

I stumble outside into the cold New York October air and shiver slightly at the breeze. It's safe to say that I'm a little bit drunk.

Charlotte and Lisa left hours ago, and I felt bad that I'd pretty much bailed on their girls night to hang out with Mason but they understood that we hadn't seen each other in years and had a lot to talk about.

"Do you want to share a cab?" Mason suggests coming up behind me and placing both of his hands on my arms, running them up and down to warm me up.

"No it's ok, I think I'll walk, I only live a couple of blocks away." I explain with a smile.

"Elena, there is no way in hell that I am letting you walk home alone at this time of night. This isn't Mystic Falls!"

"I'm very much aware of that one, Mason." I laugh and roll my eyes. "But I will be fine; I am not in the mood to get a cab."

"Then I'll walk you." Mason takes a hold of my arm and pulls me in the direction I was about to walk in towards my apartment before I can even argue with him about it. I roll my eyes but link my arm through his anyway and he helps keep me steady on my feet.

"Ah, I love this city!" I sigh wistfully as I look around. "It's always so busy, it just never stops."

"Yep. The complete opposite of Mystic Falls." Mason agrees with a smile.

"Sometimes I do miss that town." I admit honestly. "It's so calm and pretty."

"And it has a lot of memories." Mason agrees. "I still haven't been back there since I left."

"You should go back, Mason." I tell him seriously. "There are a lot of people who miss you."

"Oh yeah?" he smiles at me as we head towards my apartment. "Are you one of those people? Did you miss me Elena?"

"Maybe." I smirk and he chuckles as I stop him and nudge to the building we're stood outside of. "Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me home, Mase."

"I haven't yet, come on, I'll make sure you get inside your apartment safely."

"You don't need to do that." I smile at him reassuringly.

"I want to, Elena, now come on." He motions for me to start moving and I roll my eyes before keying in the security code and walking inside.

We get in the lift and wait till it reaches my floor before stepping out and I walk over to my door. "Thanks for tonight, I had fun." I tell him honestly.

"Me too." He smiles softly at me. "It was nice seeing you, Elena. I missed you."

"It was nice seeing you too." I fumble around in my purse distractedly looking for my keys and after eventually finding them, I lift my head up just as a pair of lips go crashing on mine.

Oh my god.

"Mason…!" I groan against his mouth as I try to push him off me. "Mason stop!" I push him away and look at him in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What?" Mason looks at me with wide eyes. "I thought…"

"You thought what?" I ask him angrily. "I'm engaged!" I hold up my left hand and I watch furiously as he rolls his eyes.

"Oh come on, we both know _that_ will never last! Besides, you've been flirting with me all night."

I look at him mortified. "No I have not!"

He shakes his head and lets out a laugh. "It's ok, we don't have to tell anyone." he takes a step closer to me.

"Oh my god." I shake my head, immediately feeling completely sober. "Goodnight, Mason." I huff as I turn around but he grabs my shoulder and swings me back around to face him and I look at him stunned.

He does not look like the sweet boy I used to play hide and seek with now.

"You can't just flirt with me all night, lead me on, let me walk you home and then invite me into your building and say that you're shocked that I thought it would lead to something else?"

"Ok, _one_, I was _not_ flirting with you, and _two_ you offered to walk me home, I was happy to go alone, and you insisted on walking me inside! I didn't do any of this!"

"Stop denying it, Elena, I know you've had a crush on me since you were like seven years old!"

"I was a kid!" I glare at him and go to turn around and unlock the door but he grabs my arms causing my keys to go falling to the floor. "Mason, stop this!"

"I don't appreciate you leading me on, Elena." He glares at me angrily.

"Ok, you need to leave!" I hiss at him furiously but when he doesn't let go of his strong painful grip on a wave of fear starts to take over. "Damon is just inside…all I need to do is scream."

He laughs and shakes his head. "You mean, the same Damon you told me just an hour ago was staying at a buddies house across town?" he smirks at me. "And you say that you weren't hinting for something to happen tonight?"

I curse myself immediately and attempt to push him away but his grip doesn't loosen and suddenly I feel sick and like I'm about to hyperventilate.

This cannot be happening right now.

"Come on, Elena, I know you want this. I know you want me."

He leans down and kisses me again and I groan and try to push him away but he pins me against the door roughly. "Stop!"

He ignores me and I shudder fearfully as his hand creeps up my bare thigh under my dress. "Mason no!" I try and scream but his mouth on mine roughly is swallowing up my cries.

Besides, there is only one other apartment on this floor with Damon and I and I know that they are currently visiting family in Toronto so no one would be able to even hear me anyway.

Oh my god.

I can't believe this is happening.

I feel the tears pour from my eyes as I try to push Mason off me, shove his dirty rough hands away from me but he is so much bigger and stronger than I am.

"Please stop!" I cry.

Before I know what is happening, Mason's body is pulled roughly away from mine and I open my water filled eyes just in time to see Damon swing his fist into Mason's face.

"She said stop, asshole!"

I fall to the ground instantly, shaking, as tears run down my cheeks and I watch as Damon punches Mason again and the two of them start to fight.

"Stop it, please!" I plead with them as I watch Mason knee my fiancé in the stomach before punching him in the face.

"Go inside, Elena!" Damon shouts at me between punches but I shake my head and pull myself back to my feet.

"Damon!" I sob his name as Mason gives him another blow and then kicks him in the stomach while he is on the floor.

"You think you can take me on, Salvatore?" Mason asks amused before turning back to face me. "Your girl was begging for it earlier, I think she wanted to experience a real man."

Before I know what is happening Damon has tackled Mason to the ground and is pounding punch after punch into his face.

"Damon stop it!" I pull on his shoulder, watching as Mason looks like he is about to lose consciousness. "Damon please!" I scream at him and I watch as Damon slowly stops and his shoulders deflate.

I look down at Mason's blooded face watching as he groans in pain on the floor and I shake my head at him disgust. "Leave Mason!"

Damon climbs to his feet and immediately wraps his arms around me, pulling me against him in a strong grip. "It's ok, baby." He whispers soothingly into my ear as I sob into his chest.

"Come on." He slowly leads me into our apartment before putting me on the couch. He places both of his blooded hands on my cheeks before leaning down and kissing me softly on the lips. I cringe slightly at the cuts on his face and the growing bruises and I lift one of my shaky hands up and touch it slowly, watching as he winces slightly but doesn't push it away. "Stay here, ok? I'll get rid of him." I shake my head to protest but he kisses me again. "I love you." He smiles softly at me before turning around and leaving the apartment, and I hear him lock it behind him.

I sit anxiously for what feels like forever but really it's only been about 10 minutes and I jump to my feet as the door lock twists and an exhausted looking Damon walks back inside.

"Don't worry, that bastard won't be bothering you again." He approaches me and pulls me in for another hug and I cling to him tightly as I feel myself about to cry again but I push back the tears.

"I was so scared." I sniffle into his shoulder before pulling away. "I thought you were staying at Will and Bryan's tonight?" I ask confused but also relieved that his plans changed.

"I was," he runs his fingers down my cheeks, wiping my tears away. "But I got your goodnight text and I could tell immediately that you'd had a bit too much to drink so I thought I better come back and look after you in case you got sick."

My heart sinks at his intentions and I smile at him despite the situation because he really is the perfect gentleman.

"Thank God I did." His eyes darken. "I could kill him, Elena! I can't even think about what might have happened if I hadn't of come back when I did." He turns his head away and I can see the fury back in his eyes.

"It's over now." I turn his head back to face me. "Ok? It's over."

"He was on something." Damon grunts still sounding extremely pissed off and I look at him surprised. "You didn't notice?"

"No." I frown confused but then I realize since I had had a lot to drink it would have been harder to spot the signs.

"Yeah, his pupils were dilated and his eyes were jumpy." He shakes his head, his eyes dark. "Asshole, I swear to God if I ever see him again…"

"Don't." I shake my head and lean up and kiss him softly on the lips. "He's gone. It's over."

I wrap my arms around him again and lean my forehead against his chest, taking in his unique smell and I sigh contently as he runs one of his hands up and down my back soothingly while the other cups the back of my head as he holds me against him.

Tonight could have gone an entirely different way and I dread to even think about it. In fact, I just want to forget all about it.

The next morning I go downstairs to grab our mail and I frown confused when I see a scrap of paper along with all the envelopes and bills.

I open it up and look down to see scribbled handwriting.

_I am so sorry Elena. I am heading back to Florida so you will never have to see me again. Words cannot describe how truly sorry I am._

_M._

I crumple up the piece of paper and throw it in the trash in disgust and head back upstairs where Damon is waiting for me with our breakfast on the table.

We don't ever bring up that night again, both of us wanting to forget all about it and what may have happened.

But for the rest of my life, I will never forget about how Damon saved me from something that could have been potentially horrific.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it, despite the little Delena in it! **

**The next chapter will be their wedding :) please review, always means a lot and helps me write more, really!**

**Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**A little spoiler here: There is a slap scene inspired purely from 4x23 ;)**

* * *

The first thing I notice is the pain in my head when I force myself to peel my eyes open, I groan in pain and look around the unfamiliar surroundings that I've found myself in wondering what the hell is going on.

I'm on the porch of what seems like some sort of woodland cabin and I look out into the trees of the woods across from me. How the fuck did I end up here?

Then I notice where the rest of my pain is coming from.

"Shit, shit shit!" I gape at my handcuffed wrists which are locked to a wooden ledge on the porch. "Shit!" I try and slip my hands out but the cuffs are too tight and are clawing against my skin painfully.

Today is my fucking wedding day.

I didn't want to go out last night. I'd had my bachelor weekend in Las Vegas a week ago, and all I wanted to do last night was have an early night.

Of course, my best friend Will has no idea what an early night means.

One drink, he said, one drink in the hotel that we were staying in since Elena was staying at her childhood home and we needed somewhere for the grooms party to get ready, so I booked us suites in a hotel in Mystic Falls. I'd much prefer to fork out the cash for a few hotel rooms than stay at the Boarding House with Giuseppe there.

So how the fuck did one drink turn in to me being tied to a fucking wooden ledge in the middle of fucking nowhere on my fucking wedding day!

I'm angry.

"Will!" I scream his name angrily, directing my head back to the doors and windows behind me. "WILL!"

I watch pissed off as the front door opens and a wrecked looking Alaric steps out and I watch immediately as his shoulders sink in relief. "Boys, he's out here!" he calls back into the cabin and before I know Will, Stefan, Jeremy, Bryan, Tyler, and two guys I don't recognise are stood looking at me with amused eyes.

"Well don't just fucking stand there! Get me out of here!"

Will howls with laughter runs his hand through his dark hair. "Oh man! You stayed out here all night?"

"Well obviously!" I hiss at him furiously. "Now fucking unlock me jackass!"

"Sure, Ric, you got the key buddy?" he looks at Alaric who frowns.

"No…I don't have the key."

"What? I gave it to you last night." Will reminds him and I look between them both in annoyance.

"Well I don't have it!" Alaric defends himself quickly.

"Guys quit messing around." I huff. "This is my _wedding_ day; Elena will kill me if I screw this up!"

"He's right." Jeremy agrees. "Just unchain him; we gotta head back to Mystic Falls soon if we want to be ready on time."

"And who the hells cabin is this?" I ask confused.

"Oh, that'd be mine." One of the guys who I don't know speaks up.

"And who the hell are you?"

"We met last night at the casino, you don't remember?" he smirks at me amused. "I'm Jack, and this is my brother Lee."

"We went to a casino?" Jeremy asks them confused before I can even ask that myself.

"Oh wow, you boys were _drunk_ last night!" Jack chuckles in amusement. "Some boys just can't handle their liquor."

"Urgh whatever man, I don't know you so how about you mind your own if you have nothing useful to contribute?" he snaps in frustration before turning back to Alaric "Enough of this bullshit. Ric, let me out of here!"

"I told you Damon, I don't have the keys!" Alaric argues and I frown when I see a look of panic cross his face. "Will, come on man!"

"I don't have it!" Will digs into his pockets and looks back at me with wide eyes. "Shit."

"Are you fucking serious?!"

This cannot be happening.

"Guys stop kidding around." Stefan joins in the conversation as he rubs his forehead tiredly. "I'm hungover and tired and I'd like to get to Mystic Falls to have a decent shower and maybe even a nap before the wedding."

"I'm not kidding around." Will looks at me meekly. "I really don't have the key."

"So does this mean we're fucked?" Bryan glances between everyone and I grunt in annoyance and shake my hands in frustration but all that does is make the cuffs ache against my wrists even more.

"No," Jack, or Lee, whoever either one of them are speaks up. "I'm sure it'll be around here somewhere, let's just look." He suggests and after a lot of grumbling and grunting they agree and I sit impatiently as they retreat back into the house to search for this key.

* * *

"Ric!" I call his name through the open door as I watch him look around in the hallway. "Come here."

Alaric approaches me with a sympathetic smile on his face. "Sorry about this man."

"Whatever, it's not your fault." I sigh in annoyance. "How long we got?"

"We should have left like 30 minutes ago." He admits "But don't worry, we still have time."

"Have you spoke to Elena?"

"No." he shakes his head. "Got no service over here." He waves his phone about in the air slightly.

"Great." I grumble and lightly knock my head against the pole behind me.

What a great start to my wedding day this is.

After another hour of searching the entire cabin, they still haven't found the damn key.

"Maybe we could saw him out?" Bryan suggests seriously and I look at him in disbelief.

"Are you fucking serious? Do you want to chop off my fucking hand?" I snap at him angrily.

"Hey, it's just a suggestion! No one else has any better ideas!" Bryan argues back in annoyance. "This isn't my fault!"

"No, it's his!" I snap my head in Will's direction. "What happened to one drink, huh?"

"Hey! I didn't make you have those shots! You can't blame me for this, you should have known better." Will defends himself, a glare crossing his face.

"I swear to God Salvatore, if you ruin this day for my sister I will kill you!" Jeremy glares at him angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry Gilbert; I forgot it was my fucking idea to handcuff myself to a freaking wooden pole the night before my wedding!"

"Guys stop." Stefan interrupts. "Arguing isn't going to make this better."

"He's right." Tyler agrees. "We need to figure this out, there has to be someone who remembers even getting here last night, never mind locking Damon to the pole?"

"I remember." Jack speaks up and I snap my head to face him angrily. "What?" he asks innocently. "Last time I tried to talk you told me to shut up."

"Fine, speak." I roll my eyes.

"It was him." He points at Stefan whose eyes widen surprised.

"What? _Me_?!"

"Yeah." Jack replies casually. "You stole the cuffs from some stripper in the club and you thought it would be funny to tie him up and leave him outside."

"Oh great! Thanks a fucking lot, _brother_!"

"We had a stripper?" Bryan asks confused. "Damn, I wish I could remember _that_."

"Stefan, check your pockets." Ric suggests and I watch impatiently as Stefan digs into all his pockets but comes out with nothing.

We fall into a disappointed silence, wondering how the hell we got ourselves into this mess. I've been on messy nights out in the past, especially when Will and Bryan are involved, but this just really tops it fucking off.

I can't believe how much I have screwed up.

"So, what do we do?" Tyler asks quietly.

"Will someone grab my phone? See if I have some service, I need to call Elena and try and explain this mess without her totally hating me." I say in defeat.

"There's no service around here, buddy." Lee speaks up.

"We can at least try! Someone get my damn cellphone!" I huff and watch as Alaric leans down beside me and uncomfortably digs his hand into the front pocket of my jeans.

"Wait," Alaric frowns and I watch as a smile immediately crosses his face and he pulls out a key.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" I gawp at him incredulity.

It was in my pocket all along?!

Alaric chuckles and unlocks me and I let out a sigh of relief from the deathly grip it had on me, my wrists aching and I rub them with a wince, a deep red mark around it.

I pull myself to my feet and run my hand through my hair in disbelief as the boys all let out a small whoop and cheers.

"Can you give us a ride to Mystic Falls?" I ask Jack impatiently and before even waiting for an answer I jog down the porch steps towards the pickup truck.

"Do I have a choice?" I hear him mutter behind me and we all pile in the truck, making it an uncomfortable squeeze but I am really past caring. I just need to get back, shower, put my suit on and then get married to the most beautiful girl in the world.

That's all I care about.

So when the car engine roars to life only to die out one second later I feel a heat of rage take over me.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I shout out for what feels like the hundredth time this morning.

"This cannot be happening." Ric grunts next to me and I watch as Jack tries again but the engine just conks straight back out.

"Shit." He mumbles awkwardly.

I shake my head and we all climb out of the car, Jack immediately opening the hood and taking a look inside.

"Is it going to work? What's wrong with it?"

"I'm not a mechanic." He huffs.

"Jesus Christ." I shake my head angrily. "Am I dreaming? Is this really fucking happening on my wedding day?!"

"Damon, calm down." Will suggests.

"Calm down!" I take three massive strides towards him. "Fuck you, Will! This is my _wedding_ day! I'm supposed to be getting married to Elena in just a couple of hours and now we're fucking stuck in the middle of nowhere with no car, no cell phone service and no fucking church, minister and my bride! And you want me to calm down?!"

"There's no point in shouting at everyone and talking to everyone like shit when there's nothing we can do!" Will argues back. "I know you're pissed, you have every right to be, but you don't need to act like an asshole about it! This is your own fault just as much as it is ours!"

I grab at his shirt and pin him against the truck furiously.

"Damon!" Stefan shouts at me and I feel someone pull me back.

"Get off me!" I snap and pull myself away. "Fuck!" I punch the truck in frustration before walking into the woods, ignoring their calls because I just want to be left alone until this fucking mess is solved!

* * *

"Hey Jenna, have you spoke to Ric this morning?" I glance at my Aunt through the mirror as the hair stylist hired for my wedding combs through my hair.

I frown when I notice Jenna send a worried glance in Bonnie's direction before answering. "Yep, just got off the phone to him earlier…"

"And is everything ok?" I ask pointedly. "You look a little…nervous."

"I'm not nervous!" she argues quickly. "Well, I am, but that's only because my only niece is about to get married! I just want this day to go perfectly." She forces a smile and I can tell immediately that something isn't right.

Especially when Caroline walks back inside the room and she shares a look with the two of them.

"Ok." I sigh loudly. "Will someone please just tell me what the hell is going on?" I motion for my stylist to stop and I swing around in my chair and look at them expectantly. When none of them answer I roll my eyes. "You can tell me!" still no reply. "Is it Damon? Is he freaking out? Because I expected as much, and I'm sure that he'll be fine." I try to sound confident, but honestly, I don't know what the hell I would do if Damon had cold feet about this wedding.

"Um…" Caroline clasps her hands together. "You see…we kind of don't know how Damon is."

"What do you mean?" I ask confused. "I thought you'd spoke to Ric?"

"Well," she sends a nervous glance to Bonnie and Jenna before continuing. "Bonnie and Jenna haven't been able to get a hold of Jeremy and Alaric all morning…"

"Ok?" I feel a sickly feeling in my stomach.

"And I just spoke to Matt…" she takes a step closer to me and now I definitely feel sick.

"Just spit it out, Caroline."

"We can't find any of the boys." Jenna blurts out and I frown.

"What do you mean you can't find them?" I ask confused. "Aren't they in the hotel?"

"That's what I just sent Matt over to check, after finally persuading the reception desk to let him in, he knocked on their suite door and no one answered, he managed to persuade a maid to go inside and there was no one there…"

I look at her unsure of what to say. How can they be no one there? Damon hired out an entire penthouse suite for all the guys to stay in. Surely there was _someone_ around?

"Let me try Damon, will someone pass me my phone." I try to keep the worry out of my voice.

It's ok.

Everything is ok.

I quickly tap his contact name and press my phone against my ear and my stomach drops when it just beeps and goes straight to voicemail.

"Don't panic, Elena." Bonnie immediately kneels down in front of me. "He might have gone to the church already; maybe he's already turned his phone off."

I shake my head and stand up and immediately start pacing the room. "Oh my god, he's gotten cold feet. He doesn't want to marry me anymore, he's realized that he can find someone better and he's called it off! He's gone! That's why there is no one at the hotel, because Damon's left me."

"Elena don't be stupid! Damon loves you!" Jenna steps in front of me. "And do you really think that if that were the case someone wouldn't have said something by now? Whether it be Jeremy or Alaric or hell, even Stefan?"

I shake my head as tears immediately attack my eyelids. "Don't cry sweetheart." Caroline runs her hand down my arm. "I'm sure whatever the heck is going on, there is a reasonable explanation. Besides, it's _Damon_, he'd be an idiot to let a girl like you go, it's not like he's ever going to get someone better!" she scoffs. "He's probably already at the church."

"Actually…" Bonnie looks up meekly and we all turn our heads to face her nervously. "I just got a text from April Young; she says her Dad hasn't seen them either."

"Bonnie!" Caroline scolds her.

"Oh god!" I run my hand through my hair but Caroline immediately grabs my wrist and stops me.

"Don't! You'll ruin it!" she huffs. "I'll try and call Tyler, even though I refuse to even speak or talk to him, I'll do it for you." She tells me while pulling out her cellphone.

"You mean you haven't tried already?" Bonnie asks her in disbelief.

"No." Caroline frowns like it's the most obvious thing. "He's an asshole who I plan to never speak to again."

I roll my eyes slightly, knowing that Caroline can say she is over him as much as she likes, she's still not over their messy breakup that they had a year ago.

Throughout the years, Caroline and Tyler have always been on again and then off again and then back _on_ again. But last year, they ended things for good and neither of them has really been able to properly get over it.

"Just call him, Caroline!" I snap at her slightly, because I really need to know what the hell is going on right now.

Just as I feared, the call goes straight to voicemail.

"Knock knock." The door opens and I watch as a nervous looking Matt walks inside. "Wow Elena, you look beautiful." He looks at me for a moment and I smile despite myself.

"Thanks Matt."

He clears his throat and digs his hands into his pocket which I know means that he's nervous. "So…I just spoke to someone from the hotel again on the phone, and apparently Damon and the rest of the guys hit the hotel bar pretty hard last night." He explains and I immediately groan. "They said that they left the hotel once the bar shut at 1am."

"Seriously?!" Caroline shrieks in disbelief "Are they that stupid that they'd get drunk the night before a wedding? Is Damon that stupid! The wedding is in _one hour_, where the hell is he?!"

"Whoa, what's going on in here?" I snap my head back towards the door where Isobel is slowly walking inside. "What's Damon stupid for?"

This is all I need.

"Nothing." I mutter. "We don't know the full story."

"Is Damon missing?" Isobel asks me concerned and I shrug and sit back down, putting my head in my hands and before I know it I'm crying.

God, I do not want to be crying on my wedding day!

Before I know it I feel like I have a dozen pair of arms wrapped around me, everyone telling me soothing words about how everything is going to be ok.

But how can it be? I can't get married with a missing groom!

* * *

I sit on a log with my head in my hands wondering how the hell I have managed to screw up what was meant to have been the most perfect and memorable day of my life.

Now it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

"Hey."

I jump slightly not hearing anyone approach me and I look up to see Alaric walk towards me, a bottle of bourbon in his hands. "Drink?"

"Jesus Christ, Ric. _No_." I scowl at him and I watch as he chuckles before sitting down on the log beside me. I watch him from the corner of my eye as he takes a large gulp of the strong liquor and I groan before holding out my hand. "Fuck it; I've screwed everything up anyway." I take the bottle from him and take a long swig.

"I can't argue with you on that one."

I shake my head and run my hand down my face tiredly. "Elena is never going to forgive me for this."

"She'll be mad, and upset, but she'll forgive you." He tells me reassuringly but I shake my head in disagreement.

"No, she won't. And I don't blame her, I'll never forgive myself for this either. I've ruined what is supposed to be the best day of her life, Ric! She's dreamed about this day since she was a little girl man and I've fucked it up for her. How the hell do we come back from that? How the hell can I even come close to making this up to her?"

"Look, it's not too late." He tries to sound positive but I can hear the defeat in his voice.

"Of course it's too late, we're in the middle of fucking nowhere with no cell service and no way of getting back to Mystic Falls!"

"Don't give up, Damon. There's still time, they are back there working on the truck as we speak."

"Working on that piece of metal trash? None of them are mechanics, what the fuck are they even doing?" I snap in annoyance before standing up. "This is stupid! I can't ruin this day for Elena, I _can't_! She deserves to have this one perfect day!" I run my hand through my hair and look around the woods. "There must be a road around here somewhere…"

"Damon…" Ric stands to his feet.

"No I'm serious, I can hitch a ride, right?" I start to trek through the woods, Alaric quickly following behind me.

"You look like shit; do you really think someone is going to stop for you? They'll think you're a serial killer!"

I roll my eyes and keep walking quickly, trying not to trip over the random branches and logs sticking out through the woodland ground.

After about ten minutes of speed walking through the woods I come to a halt when I hear the sound of a car engine.

"That way!" I point to my right and change direction, before picking up my pace to a run and I hear Ric groan in annoyance behind me but I don't stop.

After a few moments I run out of the woods and find myself on a country road. It's empty. The car engine that I heard earlier long gone, but at least we've found something.

"Now what?" Ric asks breathlessly as he bends down to rest his hands against is knees and usually I'd tease him for being so unfit but it's definitely not the time for that.

I have a wedding to get too.

"Do you have any idea which way is Mystic Falls?" I lift my hands up and motion to either direction.

"I'm a History teacher not an atlas, so no." he sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "I bet you're wishing you didn't skip all of those geography classes now." He mutters and I let out a dry laugh at coming up at yet another obstacle.

"Great." I sigh. "So what, we have a 50/50 chance of going in the right direction?"

"Well yeah." Ric agrees. "But what if we go the wrong way?"

I grunt in annoyance and look around. "This is a fucking nightmare. You got cellphone service yet?"

"Nah." Ric sighs in annoyance. "You?"

"I don't know, my battery is dead." I huff as I look down at my iPhone before shoving it back into my pocket. "How long we got?"

"30 minutes." Ric cringes and my heart sinks.

"Do you think Elena will know something is up by now?" I ask nervously. The last thing he wants is for her to think he has jilted her.

She's the love of his life.

The _only_ love of his life.

"I don't know man, maybe. I mean, you should be at the church by now…time is running out and if even if Elena doesn't know you're not there, someone will, probably Caroline." Ric says sympathetically.

I'm about to reply when I hear the sound of a car in the distance and our eyes immediately widen.

Soon enough, a silver car is turning the corner of the road and we immediately stick our arms out, waving them to stop.

I watch in panic as the car doesn't look like it's about to stop at all and it's coming right by us, and before I can even think about it I run into the road and hold my arms out in front of me, watching as the car immediately brakes and comes gliding towards me at a speed.

"DAMON!" I hear Ric shout at me and I close my eyes.

The sound of screeching makes me open them again and I open my eyes to see that car has managed to stop barely milometers away from me.

Holy shit that is close.

I look through the window to see the horrified driver and his passengers. A man and a woman, probably in their mid-thirties, presumably husband and wife.

The guy beeps the horn but I just hold out my arms.

"Please!" I beg him. "I need a ride!"

They just remain frozen and look like he's about to try and drive around me so I turn to Ric. "Stand here, Ric!"

"What?"

"Stand in front of the car!" I order him and wait for Ric to take my place before I run towards the driver's window, tapping on his window as he looks at me almost fearfully.

"Please man, we don't want any trouble." He shouts at me through the window and I immediately shake my head.

"I just need a ride! To Mystic Falls, _please_!"

"We don't take hitchhikers!" he says back through the closed window, briefly glancing back to Ric who is still stood in front of the car.

"Please sir, I am _begging_ you! It's my wedding day! I've really screwed up and I need to get back to Mystic Falls to marry the girl I love! Please! It starts in 30 minutes and our car broke down and we have no cell service!"

The guy glances back at his wife who doesn't look like she's agreeable to this and I watch as he looks behind him and I follow his gaze and I freeze when I see two terrified children in the back seat. A boy and a girl, and they must only be 8ish and 6ish respectively.

"Oh man, I'm sorry." I apologize immediately. "I didn't mean to scare your kids." I glance back at Ric in panic. "But _please_! I'll do anything if you take me to Mystic Falls right now."

The guy slowly unwinds his window a little but still keeping most of it rolled up. "How do I know you aren't some serial killer or carjacker?"

"You don't." I admit with a shaky voice. "Look, my name is Damon Salvatore, and that's my buddy Alaric Saltzman," he glances back at the kids in the back. "He has a daughter too, she's called Alice. Ric, pass me your wallet." He motions and immediately catches it as he throws it. "Look," he passes the photo through the window. "That's her with his wife Jenna; she's just a year old and my fiancée is her godmother. I'm not going to hurt you or your kids; I just really really need a ride." I pull out my own wallet and hand him my driver's licence. "Look see, I'm not lying." I pull out another photo. "This is my fiancée Elena, Elena Gilbert, and if I don't get back to Mystic Falls in time for our wedding she is going to be heartbroken, she's dreamed of this day since she was a little girl and I really don't want to mess this up for her." I plead with them desperately and I can feel the tears stinging in my eyes.

I watch as they look at each other skeptically.

"_Please_! If it's money you want, I'll pay you anything. I'll write you a cheque for a thousand dollars; I'll buy you a freaking car or something! Anything you want! Just please, I need to get to Mystic Falls. I need to get married _today_."

I watch with wide eyes as the passenger door opens and his wife climbs out, albeit a little nervously. "Get in." she tells me and my entire body deflates in relief before she opens the back door. "I'll get in the back. But we don't have enough room for the both of you."

"That's ok! I'll head back to the cabin, see the rest of the guys, hopefully we'll manage to sort something out." Alaric looks just as relieved as I feel.

I nod at Ric before turning towards the woman who is stood by the car still. "Thank you!" I say as a tear escapes my eye. "Thank you_ so much_!" I run around the car, Ric patting me on the back as I go, before climbing into the front seat.

The woman getting in the back with her kids.

I lean my head back against the head rest in relief.

"So, what time is the wedding?" The driver asks.

"One."

"That's in like…20 minutes." He says seriously as he glances at me sideways.

"I know." I run my hand over my face tiredly.

Praying that I might just make it.

* * *

"Elena, the car is waiting." Caroline stands in my doorway as I sit alone at my old desk and mirror in my wedding dress.

"What's the point?" I try my hardest to stop my tears from falling.

"Elena." She sighs and walks further into the room. "I know I'm not his biggest fan, but Damon _loves_ you! I've never seen anyone look at someone the way that Damon looks at you, he worships the ground you walk on Elena Gilbert, and I know that he will make sure that he marries you today." She tells me firmly.

"Well then where the hell is he?!" I stand up angrily. "This is my _wedding day_ Caroline! I shouldn't be feeling like this! This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life!"

"I know, and he has a lot of explaining to do, and apologising, but there's still time, Elena."

"Is there?" I ask exasperated. "Because I don't know if I even want to get married today anymore." I confess and I cringe as my eyes sting with tears. "I don't know how to feel, Caroline! Should I be worried that my fiancé is missing and nobody knows where he is? Along with half of his friends! My brother included! Or should I be angry? Pissed off? That he has managed to get himself in yet another situation where he messes things up!" I shake my head and push some hair out of my face with shaky hands. "I know him, Caroline, I know him more than anyone else in this world, which means I also know that this town brings out the absolute worst in him sometimes! I know that he didn't want to get married here, that he wanted to get married in New York but I convinced him to do it here in our church because that's where my parents got married. I know he only agreed to it because I asked him, I know that this wasn't his first choice. He has so many ghosts here, so many bad memories, what if it just got to him and he lashed out and did something stupid?"

"I'm sure that's not the case, Elena." She tries to sound reassuring. "And sure, he may have a lot of bad memories here, but he has amazing ones too! Mystic Falls is where he met _you_ Elena, this is where he fell in love with you, this is where you guys started your relationship, your friendship, your life together. It all happened _here_."

I know she's right, I know she is. Damon would do anything for me; I know that, I know that's why he agreed to get married here in Mystic Falls. I know that he has good memories here too along with the bad ones, I know that loves me.

I know that he purposely wouldn't do anything to ruin the best day of our lives.

"Ok." I wipe at my eyes and exhale. "Let's go."

Once we arrive at the church, I watch as everyone piles out of their cars. Caroline, Bonnie and Jenna all in their bridesmaid gowns.

Jenna helps me out and I look around the church with a small smile. It is beautiful and looks exactly the same as I remember from the photos my Mom used to show me of when she married my Dad.

I look up just as Matt walks out of the main doors, a wide smile on his face. "He's here!"

My entire body sinks with relief.

"He just got here not even five minutes ago, he's in one of the back rooms sorting himself out, he's had to borrow a suit from the lost and found though since he didn't have enough time to go to the hotel." He cringes slightly and I hear Caroline shriek in horror behind me but I don't care.

"I need to see him."

"Elena, you can't! It's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding." Caroline tells me in disbelief.

"I don't care, Caroline. I need to see him."

Matt holds out his arm and escorts me inside, turning left at the entrance so to not enter the main hall.

"What about everyone else?" I ask him, knowing that Jeremy is the one who is supposed to walk me down the aisle and give me away.

Matt shakes his head with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Elena, it's just Damon." He knocks slightly on the large wooden oak door and I hear Damon shout 'Come in'.

I take a deep breath before sending Matt a smile in thanks and turning around.

I watch Damon as he stands at the mirror trying to fasten his tie.

He turns around and I watch as his eyes widen when he sees me.

"Elena." He gawps at me and I take three large strides towards him before reaching my arm out and slapping him full force across the face.

_Hard_.

"Jesus Christ!" Damon gasps and holds his cheek, and I pull my hand back down to my side, holding it with my other one as it stings from the pain of slapping him so forcefully. "That hurt!"

"_Good_!"

Damon looks at me with wide eyes before eying me up and down slowly, his gaze immediately softening. "Wow Elena…you look…_beautiful_." He smiles tenderly. "You're stunning, you know that?"

"Thank you." I reply confidently. "You don't look too bad yourself, Salvatore, even if that suit does look too small on you." I eye up the dark tight suit clinging to his body "I'm sure you'd have looked even better in that expensive Armani tuxedo we had custom made especially for you." I say with an edge to my tone.

He smirks slightly and looks down at himself and I roll my eyes before straightening out his tie.

He can never do it just right.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, and even more apologizing, but not today, ok?" I tell him seriously, my hands stroking his chest slowly as relief takes over me all over again. "I'm just glad you're here." I run my hands slowly down his chest to his stomach before trailing them back up again.

Damon lifts his hand up and caresses my cheek softly. "I love you so much, Elena. There was absolutely no way in hell that we weren't getting married today." He leans down and kisses me on the forehead before stepping back. "Now go, I promised you the perfect day and I've already screwed up the start, let's not make it worse by pushing our luck seeing each other before the wedding, apparently it's bad luck you know." He winks at me and I let out a small laugh and shake my head before walking back towards the door.

"You're an idiot." I tell him seriously. "But I love you too."

I walk out of the room where Matt is stood waiting for me with a smile. "Everything ok?"

I nod my head with a genuine smile. "Yeah." I feel that giddy feeling creep back into me again as I realize what is about to happen. "Wow, I'm getting married today."

Matt chuckles and I loop my arm through his as he escorts me back to the entrance where Jenna, Caroline and Bonnie are waiting for us. Matt excuses himself and walks into the main hall to take his seat and I look at the three people I am closet too after Damon with a smile.

"Elena," Caroline smiles nervously. "What are you going to do about walking down the aisle?" she asks hesitantly.

"It sucks that my brother can't be here, but what else can I do?" I admit disappointed.

"What about John?" she suggests slowly. "He's just inside; I could go and get him."

"No." I shake my head immediately. "If I wanted a father to walk me down the aisle, it would have to have been my _Dad_." I tell her seriously and I watch her nod her head in understanding.

"ELENA!"

I jump slightly and look out the open doors to see my scruffy looking brother jump out of a truck and run towards me, Stefan, Alaric, Will, Bryan and Tyler all following.

"Jer!" I feel my shoulders sink in relief. "You made it!"

"I'm SO sorry!" he goes to hug me but then stops himself when he takes in my white dress and his oily t-shirt.

"I don't even want to know." I tell him seriously just as the wedding chords of the large organ inside begin to play.

"Oh my god, this is a fashion disaster!" Caroline shrieks. "He can't walk you down the aisle dressed like that! And Stefan, Ric and Will cannot be Damon's groomsmen like that either!" she scolds them in disbelief, her eyes wide in astonishment and anger but I shake my head with a sincere smile.

I can't help the genuine laughter that escapes my mouth before speaking up. "Caroline, this is perfect." I look over at the three boys who are stood further behind, a nervous guilty look on their faces. "Go! You need to be up there with Damon."

They all nod their heads quickly and walk inside, Tyler and Bryan following to take their seats and I turn to face my brother with a smile. "I'm so glad you made it in time."

"Me too, I would never have forgiven myself if I missed your wedding day." He leans down and kisses me on the cheek. "You look beautiful, Elena."

"Thank you." I smile softly at him. "Ok." I let out a shaky breath and exhale. "Let me go and get married now."

It was a funny sight walking up the aisle. Damon stood waiting for me in a suit that was too tight and too short on his legs, his hair slightly messy and tussled. But it didn't bring him down and it certainly didn't stop the wide smile on his face as he never took his eyes off me as I walked closer towards him, a giddy excited feeling in my stomach building more and more with each step.

He still looked as strikingly handsome and dashing as ever.

Alaric, Will and Stefan were stood beside him, all dressed in jeans and worn shirts, covered in black greasy oil, hell Will even had some on his face.

They were the definition of a group of misfits, and that's what made this day that little bit more special.

Because nothing is ever boring when it comes to Damon Salvatore.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, you're awesome! **

**Please drop a review and let me know what you thought :)**

**Until next time! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**This chapter is set towards the end of Damon and Elena's freshmen year of college, meaning Damon is 20 and Elena 19.**

**PS, it's my birthday tomorrow so please leave me a present! ;)**

* * *

Elena looked up at the apartment building that Damon gave her the address too last night and she could tell immediately that she was at the right place since she could hear the music blaring from the roof above from where she was standing on the sidewalk.

She couldn't wait to see him since it was Friday and she'd only seen him just the once this week because she's had a lot of assignment deadlines. She wasn't even supposed to be here tonight, he'd invited her last night when they were on the phone but she had to decline because she had an essay to write that was due in for Monday. Luckily she managed to get most of it written today in the library and figured that she'd finish the rest of it on Sunday before her deadline. She missed her boyfriend and wanted to spend the weekend with him, college wasn't supposed to be all work, even at this time of year when it feels like she has a million essays to write and projects to finish, but she had to play too!

She cursed under her breath when she pulled out her phone to see that her battery had died, so she had to rely on going up there on her own to a NYU party full of people she wouldn't know to hopefully find her boyfriend straight away, or at least find Will or any of Damon's friends that she's met already.

She got in the elevator to the top floor before walking the last block of stairs that takes you up onto the roof, the music loud and blaring and she tugs on the bottom of her dress self-consciously as she walks out into the chilled dark New York May night, worried that she may have been a little overdressed but as she steps further into the party she sees that other girls are wearing dresses too so at least that's one relief.

She looks around the crowded rooftop, her high heels giving her a slight height edge to look around but she still can't spot her boyfriend anywhere through the masses of drunken students.

She walks further into the party, pushing through people while trying to avoid drinks being spilt onto her.

"Oh hello gorgeous, what's a girl like you doing all alone at a party?" A guy she doesn't recognise steps in front of her and she goes to roll her eyes at him and ignore him but then she realises he could be useful.

"I'm looking for my boyfriend actually." I smile politely at him. "He's called Damon Salvatore, do you know him?"

"I don't, want me to help you look for him?" He says and I don't miss the way he eyes me up and down slowly, his tongue darting out to briefly lick his lips. "We could have a drink together while we look? Get to know each other?"

"Thanks but I'm good." I go to push past him since he clearly doesn't know where Damon is, but he side steps back in front of me blocking my path.

"Oh come on girl, what's one drink?"

"I said no." she huffs at him in annoyance and is about to walk past him again but a hand landing on her shoulder stops her and she turns her head to the side and lets out a sigh of relief when she sees Will standing next to her.

"Elena," Will looks between the two of them for a moment, a wary look on his face. "Is this guy bothering you?"

"Wait, this is your boyfriend?" the guy scoffs, cutting in before she could answer.

"No I'm not but I'm sure when her boyfriend finds out your bothering his girl you'll be thrown over that rooftop before she can even say the word asshole, so excuse us." Will wraps his arm around her shoulder before moving them away.

"Thanks for that." I grin at him as he leads me straight towards the makeshift bar. I watch as he pours me a drink before handing it over to me and I immediately cringe and almost choke at how strong the mixture is. "Jesus Will! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Will chuckles and pats my back. "Play hard or don't play at all Gilbert!" he smirks. "That's my motto babe!"

I take another sip from the plastic cup and grimace. "Now I understand why Damon always comes home wasted after nights out with you!" she smiles amused before taking another gulp, finding it easier and easier to swallow the strong liquid each time she takes another drink.

"So how come you're here anyway? Damon said you had too much college stuff going on?"

"I did, well, I still do, but I figured that I deserved a little break and I haven't seen Damon much this week. Speaking of, he is here, right? My cellphone died so I couldn't ring or text to double check or tell him that I was coming."

"Yeah he's around here somewhere." Will smiles at me. "He's a little drunk though; we may have been hitting it hard on the shots and bourbon before we got here." He smirks and I roll my eyes with my own smile.

"That certainly does not surprise me, Will. Want to help me find him? It's so crowded up here and I can barely get my way around."

"Sure thing, Gilbert!" He wraps his arm back around my shoulder protectively and guides me through the crowds and I clutch onto my drink tightly as we push our way through.

After what seems like a long while but was probably merely a few minutes, we break out of the big crowds of people dancing and into a section of the rooftop by the side that is more chilled and less crowded and I immediately spot Damon sat down on an old deck chair, a bottle of beer in his hand as he chats with a group of people I don't think I recognise with the exception of maybe one or two from previous parties.

"Hey Salvatore!" Will shouts loudly. "Look at this hot lady who just tried to seduce me!" he smirks and I roll my eyes before punching him lightly on the arm.

I watch amused as Damon's eyes widen when he sees me before a big smile crosses his face and he immediately jumps up to his feet, my own starting to walk towards him anyway and soon enough we've met in the middle and our arms are wrapped around each other.

Damon squeezes me tightly and I giggle as he lifts me up into the air slightly, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck, before he puts me down and pulls back so he can look at me. "What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't make it?" He smiles at me, one of his hands leaving my waist to cup my face.

"I missed you and wanted to see you." I grin happily and run a hand down through his hair affectionately.

"Well I'm glad you came." he says before pressing his mouth against mine in an open mouthed kiss. I immediately kiss him back hungrily; feeling like it's been too long when really it's only been five days.

"Mmm." Damon moans against her lips as he slowly pulls away but not before pressing another quick kiss to her lips. "You look _hot_ baby." He eyes her up and down slowly, and unlike with the guy she met earlier, this time it makes her shudder in all the right ways.

"Thanks." I smirk and run a hand down his chest before pressing my lips against his ear. "But I think you'll like what I'm wearing underneath so much better." She whispers huskily into his ear and she feels a sense of satisfaction when she feels him shiver against her, his grip on her tightening as their bodies press flush against each other.

"Oh?" he wiggles his eyebrows at me and I giggle before pressing my lips back against his, our kisses hot and open mouthed.

"Geez, put her down Salvatore!" someone shouts and I feel Damon pull away from my reluctantly, one of his arms staying wrapped around my waist as he steps back to turn back to the small group that I forgot were behind us and I immediately feel myself blush.

"Shut up, idiot!" Damon scowls at whoever it was before turning back to me with a smile. "Come on, let me get you another drink." He takes a hold of my hand before pulling me back to where he was sat and I notice a crate of beer on the floor, watching as he pulls a bottle out and opens it before handing it to me.

"Everyone, this is my girlfriend Elena, Elena, this is everyone." He introduces us briefly, his hand slowly moving up and down my waist and I smile at the group of strangers politely, greeting the few that I have met already from other times.

"I'm so tempted to just leave with you right now." Damon whispers into her ear and she shudders slightly and turns her head to the side as she leans back against his chest, his arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

"Soon." She places one of her hands on top of his before linking their fingers together.

"Good, because I've missed you." He murmurs into her ear before pressing a kiss against her neck, his lips parting to suck on her skin slightly before lifting his head back up.

"Who is up for some drinking games?" Will shouts loudly around the small group and everyone nods their heads in agreements. "I never?"

Damon groans and mutters how lame the game is into Elena's ear but agrees none the less and they watch as Will grabs a load of plastic shot glasses before filling them all up with straight vodka.

"I'll go first." Will smirks. "I have never…had sex on a rooftop."

They watch amused as three people, two boys and a girl, take a drink.

"We'll have to try that one sometime soon." Damon whispers into her ear and she grins as her stomach flutters, his right hand resting against her stomach as the other runs slowly up and down her side, every now and then landing on her hip.

She steps back closer against him, and she closes her eyes briefly as she feels his bulge press into her backside and Damon gasps slightly as she grinds her ass discreetly against him, his arm tightening around her.

"Behave." He breaths out, knowing that if she doesn't stop doing things like that he really is going to have to fulfill this new rooftop promise to her very very soon.

"I have never…" they are brought back into the game. "Had sex in a public place…wait for it…" The guy who is speaking holds out his hand before people start to drink. "With other people within ten feet from me." He smirks.

Elena immediately blushes before nervously taking a shot from the makeshift table in front of them and she hears Damon chuckle behind her before doing the same.

"No way!" Will laughs when he spots them drinking. "When and where? I want details!" he grins.

"Well you aint getting any buddy so drop it!" Damon warns him with a smirk and Elena hides behind her beer bottle embarrassed.

Damon smirks and stops himself from bragging that they have done it multiple of times. In fact, the last time they did was merely a few weeks ago, while Elena's roommate Charlotte was fast asleep across the room, Damon managed to persuade Elena to have some fun under the covers under the promise that they'd both be quiet. It was difficult, of course, but they managed to keep their moans and gasps as silent as possible and they succeeded without waking up Elena's shy roommate.

They'd also been sneaky in his own dorm room, his roommate Kevin also completely oblivious to their late night escapades across the room.

The most fun time though was in the waves on a beach in Barcelona last summer, there were dozens of people around, not too close but almost close enough, and he'd been extremely horny all morning. Elena had been teasing him none stop, and she was wearing his favorite bikini because she knew it drove him crazy, so when they went for a dip in the warm Mediterranean sea, he took full advantage of their lower bodies being hidden by the water. He feels his penis throb as he thinks back to Elena flushed against him through the waves, her head resting onto his shoulder as her hands clawed at his bare back tightly as he slowly thrusted in and out of her under the water, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming his name.

That was a _good_ trip.

The game continues, and the more they have to drink, the more they both feel the effects of the alcohol consumed taking over them and they both know that they are well on the way to getting drunk.

"Half the guys in this place can't take their eyes off you." Damon grips Elena's hips tightly as they dance in the middle of the makeshift dance floor. "You're so sexy…" he dips his head to press a kiss against her neck and Elena feels her eyes closing. "I love this dress." He runs his finger down her side against the material. "I love this necklace." He gently picks up the necklace he bought her for her 18th birthday, the necklace that she rarely ever takes off, his finger grazing her skin and he hears her breathing pick up. "I love your hair." He twirls a finger into her wavy curls, his eyes dark as he feels Elena's grip around him tighten. "I love _you_." He finishes with a smile, his lips pressed against her ear.

Elena shivers as Damon whispers sweet nothings into her ear and she tilts her head back drunkenly, enjoying the moment, enjoying the freedom of being up here on this New York rooftop with the boy that she loves.

Away from Mystic Falls and all the drama that the town brought them long behind them. She knows that school will be ending soon, and they will have to go back, but she also knows that Damon has caught the travelling bug so hopefully they won't have to be back there for very long.

As much as she misses Jenna and Jeremy, and Bonnie, Caroline, Alaric, Matt and on the rare occasion even Isobel and John, she knows that moving away from Mystic Falls was the best thing she ever did, especially moving with Damon.

He is like a different person here.

She watches him dance drunkenly in front of her to the music, a small smirk lingering on his lips as his arms grip her hips, her arms wrapped around his neck, playing with his hair. Now looking into his eyes, she doesn't see a hint of hurt or pain anymore, not like she used too, even back when they were together and happy in Mystic Falls.

There was always something there to bring him down, whether it be someone bringing up Katherine, or the Mikealson's, or whether it be his family, mostly Giuseppe, and sometimes being reminded about mine and Stefan's dating history. There was always something.

Not here though. Not now.

"I love you too." She hugs him, pulling his head beside her own so she could speak quietly into his ear. "So much, Damon."

She hears him make a noise beside her but she can't make it out, so when she pulls back slightly she is a little surprised when he slams his mouth against her own. It doesn't take her longer than a second to react, and soon she is kissing him back fiercely in the middle of this crowded rooftop, not caring about who is watching or the wolf whistles, that she is pretty sure are coming from Will, hollering their way.

"I think Kevin has gone home to see his parents this weekend." Damon pulls away breathlessly. "Come back to mine?"

She nods her head and he takes her hand, but not before pressing another kiss to her lips, this time much more soft and slow.

"Come on." He smiles and leads her away, not even bothering to say goodbye to his friends.

* * *

"Oops!" Elena giggles loudly as Damon wraps his arm around her to keep her steady on her feet after she nearly fell flat on her ass in her heels. "I think I'm just gonna take these stupid things off!" she kicks off her heels in the hallway of Damon's dormitory building, giggling drunkenly as one of them flies off and hits a door in the wide corridor.

Damon chuckles drunkenly himself before letting go of her and stumbling over to pick up her now discarded high heeled shoes and lifting them up next to his face. "Do you think these are my color?" he holds up the red shoes with a mocking pout.

"Oh _totally_ baby!" Elena winks at him playfully before cringing and looking down at her bare feet. "Yuck, this floor is sticky!" she grimaces.

"Come on then!" Damon bends down in front of her. "Hop on!"

"Nah uh, you're drunk and you'll drop me!"

Damon scoffs. "I am not drunk, Elena!" he protests but his slurred words are saying otherwise.

"You can't even stand up straight!" she pushes him slightly to prove a point and watches amused as he tumbles backwards and almost falls over.

"Don't be a scaredy cat, come on Lena!" he walks backwards towards her, bending down slightly and holding out his arms behind him.

"Urgh fine, but if you drop me I am withholding sex for a whole week! Don't think I can't do it!" she tries her best to send him a stern look but her intoxicated body is working against her so she just wraps her arms around his neck before jumping on his back, Damon immediately drunkenly stumbling forward a little before finding his balance with her on his back.

"Oof!" he grunts as he staggers forward. "Someone has been going heavy on the pop tarts lately, huh?"

Elena gasps loudly and punches him hard on the shoulder, Damon groaning loudly in pain before stumbling to the side against the wall, almost dropping her.

"Did you just call me fat?!"

"What? No!" he defends himself immediately, cursing himself for that stupid comment already. "I was just saying that you feel a little heavier than usual."

"So you are calling me fat?! You are such an asshole, Damon! Put me down!" she tries to jump from his back but he just clings onto her thighs tightly to stop her.

"Elena!" he groans. "You really need to stop squirming if you don't want me to drop you!" he scolds her.

"If you drop me, it will be because I'm a fat whale and am too heavy for you to carry!"

"Jesus Christ Elena, you are like the skinniest person that I know!" Damon huffs. "I didn't mean anything by it, it was just a freaking joke!"

"Urgh, just put me down, Damon!"

"Nope!"

"Damon!"

"Not gonna happen, Elena."

"Damon!"

"Stop shifting! You're gonna fall!"

"Stop being an ass and put me down!"

He keeps stumbling forward, getting closer and closer to his dorm room despite Elena's best efforts to make them _both_ topple over.

"Damon! I hate you!"

He rolls his eyes as he stumbles slightly to the side, her back pressing against the wall for a brief moment before he is back steady on his feet.

"What the hell is going on out here? Some people are trying to actually sleep!" some guy comes out of his room and glares at them angrily.

"Mind your own business asshole." Damon grunts at him in annoyance and tries to keep moving but Elena reaches an arm out and holds onto the doorway to halt him.

"Excuse me; I'm being taken against my will by this pervert!"

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" Damon turns his head slightly to look over his shoulder at her in disbelief.

The guy steps a little closer to them suspiciously.

"Just put me down!"

"You heard the lady, put her down." The guy says with a hint of a threatening tone to his voice.

"Back off." Damon glares at him and goes to walk past again but the guy steps in front of them blocking their way.

"Don't make me use force man."

"Whoops." Elena giggles naughtily and Damon sends her another backwards glare.

"How about you mind your own business and move out of my way?"

"Not until you let her down and walk away, she clearly doesn't want to go back with you and you're severely mistaken if I'm just going to let this happen!"

Damon immediately removes his hands from under Elena's thighs without warning and she squeals and goes landing onto the ground with a heavy thud.

"DAMON!" she shrieks from the floor, looking up at him in disbelief.

"Go back to where you came from, asshole!" Damon glares at his neighbor and watches him in annoyance as the guy goes to walk past him to help Elena up but Damon immediately slaps the hand he held out for her to take, away. "Back off!"

Elena huffs in annoyance and pushes herself up to her feet, almost tripping in her merry state. She watches as the two boys square up to each other and if she was sober she would have stopped this ages ago but her intoxicated self is finding this situation extremely amusing, especially since Damon just called her fat.

"You want a ride home or something?" the guy asks, turning away from Damon but her boyfriend just grabs his shoulder and swings him back around again.

"Are you fucking serious? She's going nowhere with you! Come on, Elena!" he reaches to grab her hand but she pulls it away with a glare.

"Looks like she doesn't want to go anywhere with you pal." The guy snarkily replies to Damon before turning her attention back on her. "Elena right?" he smiles at her. "How about I walk you home? Or you could come into my room and I'll make you a coffee or something?"

She watches as Damon's fists clench tightly at his side and she would recognize that look on his face anywhere as she watches his jaw clench.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Ah fuck, she can't do it.

"Thanks but no thanks." She smiles sweetly at him, cutting in just before Damon was about to raise his fist and smack him one square in the face.

"Are you sure? I have hot chocolate, and you look like you need one. Or we could have a night cap?"

"You heard her! She said no!" Damon hisses at him furiously and reaches back to grab her hand and this time she lets him take it.

"Well if you still think I'm letting you take her with you then you are very mistaken pal!"

"Um excuse me? I'm not an object! I go where I want, thanks!" Elena snarls at him and the guy looks surprised and a little put out to see her turn against him so quickly.

"You heard my girlfriend." Damon smirks at him. "Now seriously, back the hell off and walk away before I really get angry!"

The guy looks between them both confused for a second and when he sees Elena no longer making a struggle to get away, he grunts in frustration before something about sociopaths as he storms back into his room, slamming his door hard and loud behind him.

Elena giggles slightly and Damon turns to ace her with a raised eyebrow.

"That was a nasty trick you pulled there Gilbert!" he pushes her back against the wall, one of his hands holding her hip while the other lands on the wall beside her face.

Elena smirks and shrugs her shoulders. "You deserved it." She tells him casually.

"Oh?" Damon bends his head down before pressing his lips against her neck and sucking and nibbling on her skin. Elena shudders against him and suppresses a moan as Damon pins her against the wall, his body pressed flushed against her. "And was that my punishment?"

"Nope." Elena presses her hands around his head before lifting it up so they are eye level. "You're punishment will come later, Salvatore."

Damon smirks at her, pushing her even further against the wall as possible, his hand falling from his hip and down her thigh before slipping underneath her dress and crawling back up it, his fingers tracing her skin. "And what about my punishment to you for that little stunt? Playing the innocent victim?"

"I _was_ the innocent victim." She replies in barely a whisper, her lips lightly brushing against his as they move.

"Oh you knew _exactly_ what you were doing." Damon tells her pointedly at her before squeezing her thigh and pressing the hardening bulge in his dress pants against her. "Didn't you?" he watches with heavy breaths as Elena's eyes roll backwards slightly before they flutter shut.

"Maybe." She eventually admits with a shudder and she lets out a shaky gasp just before Damon presses his mouth against hers in a hot searing kiss.

Elena groans against his lips before opening her mouth as Damon's tongue immediately attacks her own, her fingers crawling into his dark hair, clinging tightly to his locks as his right hand moves down from the wall to grip her waist, his other still holding her thigh as he pins her tightly between him and the wall behind her.

"Come on you little minx." He pulls back reluctantly, even in his drunken haze he knows better than to get carried away with his hot girlfriend in a dormitory corridor full of horny freshman.

She giggles as she follows him to the last few remaining feet until he reaches his room, he quickly unlocks it and opens the door, Elena's arms wrapped around him from behind as she starts to press wet kisses down his neck.

However, the second he collects his bearings he realizes that they are not alone.

"Jesus Christ!" he jumps getting a fright as he sees his roommate sat up in his bed, his lamp on his bedside table on low as a book rests in his hands. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"This is my room too, Damon." Kevin glares at him in annoyance, his eyes looking past him to Elena and his scowl deepens. "I thought we agreed on the no girls rule."

Elena rolls her eyes, totally used to Kevin's attitude towards her as she throws her heels down onto the worn carpet by Damon's bed, making herself at home like she would if Kevin wasn't here.

"I didn't agree to that rule." Damon replies in annoyance totally pissed off that he and Elena no longer have the place to themselves. "I thought you were going to visit your parents?"

"I was but my plans have changed." Kevin replies simply before grimacing. "Gross, you two absolutely reek of stale beer."

"I'm surprised you know what that smells like." Elena mutters quietly as she flops down onto Damon's bed, the alcohol in her system making her much less polite.

"Go take a shower or something! How can you expect me to sleep next to you in this?" he frowns in disgust. "And she's not staying here tonight."

"Oh but she is." Damon sends him a mocking smile before slowly unbuttoning his shirt, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly at Elena. "We'll try and be quiet." He winks back at Kevin.

Elena tries to hide her laughter as she sees the horrified look on Kevin's face but she can't hold it in and a snort and a loud giggle escapes from her mouth.

Kevin immediately glowers. "Oh I see, another one of your crude jokes?" he rolls his eyes.

Damon doesn't answer, instead motions for Elena to stand up before lifting up the covers and nodding for her to slip inside. The second she does, she unzips her tight dress underneath the quilt, before tossing it onto the floor and Damon looks back at Kevin who is eyeing Elena with a weird look on his face.

"Problem?" he snaps, pretty sure he would recognize that lustful look in his eyes anywhere. So much for being so prim and proper, huh Kevin?

Kevin immediately snaps back to reality. "I…uh…I…no…no." he stutters. "No problem, just don't try any funny business ok! I'm going to sleep, I have to get up early tomorrow so don't be loud." He turns off his bedside light leaving them in complete darkness.

"Night Kevin!" Elena giggles drunkenly and smirks when she hears him mutter a reply reluctantly.

Damon starts to stroke Elena's bare thigh underneath the covers, turning onto his side as she lies on her back so he is towering over her slightly. Elena quietly gasps as his hand slips higher before tugging on her panties.

She grips his hand tightly to stop him, shaking her head through the darkness and motioning to the bed across the room. Damon just replies silently with an evil smirk before using his other hand to caress her breast and even in the darkness Damon sees her eyes closer and her mouth open, her heavy breathing the only sound being made in the silent dark room.

He shrugs Elena's hand off his own and lets it continue its journey upwards and under her panties, his fingers immediately coming into contact with her wet center and it takes him everything to not groan loudly in pleasure at what he does to her.

He strokes her lazily for a few moments, content enough at the moment to just listen to her heavy breathing which quickens with each stroke, but knowing that it could just be mistaken for the sound of her sleeping. Very slowly he slides one finger inside of her and Elena gasps loudly, he quickly covers her mouth with his other hand and widens his eyes at her, briefly glancing over his shoulder across the room but as far as he is concerned Kevin is completely oblivious.

He slowly removes his hand from her mouth before pressing his finger against his lips motioning her to be quiet, before pressing his hand back against her mouth as he inserts another finger and he feels the sound vibrations hit his palm as she moans against his mouth and he feels himself getting more and more turned on.

His penis is already throbbing, and he knows he won't be able to last much longer if she keeps making noises like that. The danger of getting caught so easily making this whole thing even more exciting.

As he thrusts his fingers in and out, he's too distracted by making sure Elena keeps quiet that he fails to notice her arms move and before he knows it her hand is wrapped around his hard member underneath his shorts.

"God," he whispers breathlessly as she strokes him up and down.

"Sssh." Elena scolds him back with a smirk, glad that she could turn it around onto him.

Damon removes his hand from her mouth to grip onto the bed sheet tightly, his fingers clutching the material to stop himself from screaming her name as her pace quickens, his own fingers still pleasuring her, the two of their heavy breathing getting louder and louder and he is absolutely sure that Kevin is asleep now or there is no way he wouldn't be able to not hear this.

He gasps as Elena rolls over on top of him and his fingers fall out of her at the change of position and he closes his eyes as he feels her pull out his penis from his shorts before lifting herself up and pressing herself against him.

"God." Elena moans loudly as she dips down so he can enter her, and he is too far gone to even care about waking up his prude roommate. She stills for a moment to get used to his size, even after all this time, before she slowly starts to move against him. He clutches her thighs tightly as her hands rest against his chest and he looks up to the most beautiful sight in the world as Elena rides him slowly.

Part of her wants to speed things up, to fuck him good and proper but she doesn't want to wake up Kevin, so she keeps things slow and sensual, trying to make sure that she doesn't scream out Damon's name or does anything to make him cry out her own.

They'll have plenty more opportunities to have hard rough fast sex, to cry out each other's names, to moan loudly as they ride each other, to scream as they reach their orgasm.

But not tonight, tonight is all about the thrill of being quiet, to not wake up Damon's roommate, to not get caught.

And that is a big enough turn on in itself.

She feels herself about to reach her climax and she can't help but thrust harder against him, Damon helping her along by lifting up his hips, her pelvic bone crashing against him and before she knows it she can feel Damon spill into her and that is enough to set her off, she leans down so her bra covered breasts are resting against Damon's chest, her head digging into his neck as she bites on his skin to stifle a scream, Damon's fingers gripping her skin tightly that she knows she'll wake up with bruises.

"Oh god." She whispers into his neck breathlessly as she comes back down to earth.

Damon chuckles softly and spares a glance to his roommate who is still, thankfully, sleeping. "You are fucking amazing." He whispers to her, tilting his head downwards to kiss her forehead, pushing some of her messy hair from her face.

"Do you think he heard us?" she asks while yawning, ready to sleep in her post orgasmic state.

"Nah." Damon smiles, his arms wrapped around her as she nuzzles his neck. "And if he did, at least we probably taught him something."

Elena giggles quietly and Damon smiles as he feels her body shake against his, after a while she calms down and before he knows it he hears her breathing even out and her soft steady breaths are soothing his ears.

He smiles to himself as he feels sleep overtake him, feeling content in knowing that for as long as she will have him, he is going to love Elena Gilbert forever.

* * *

**I hope you liked it!**

**So, I kinda have a little bit bad news, well for you guys anyway, I'm going travelling on Saturday for 3 weeks, so this may be the last chapter until I get back! But the next chapter is already half written, so if I don't get it finished before Saturday, then it will be done a few days after I get home I'm sure!**

**I hope you all understand! It's an exciting trip for me, and I am really looking forward to it but just wish I didn't have to leave this story hanging for 3 weeks is all!**

**Please review and let me know what you thought :) It'll be an awesome birthday present to wake up to lots of cool reviews!**

**Until next time! :) **


	10. Chapter 10

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**I'm back! I had an amazing time travelling, it was insane and incredible and I'm sad to be home but not sad to get back into writing and posting more chapters for you awesome people! **

**But first...**

**For those of you who don't already know, I've started a new story. It's called Cannonball, and just like this one it is AU and all human. It is a story about Damon and Elena coming from two rivalling families who hate each other, one family on the good side of the law and the other on the bad. They couldn't possibly fall for each other, right? ;)**

**So please, if you haven't already, check it out! I'm nervous about starting a new story and I really want it to do well and hopefully it will be as successful as Crying Lightning!**

**Anyway, back to the main event: **

**In this chapter Damon is 23 and Elena 22 and it is set during the summer after they have both graduated from college.**

**(PS another little warning, it's late and I'm tired and I wanted to get this posted tonight because I felt bad for making you all wait this long already, so I haven't proof read this chapter so I hope if their are any spelling, grammar or even simple timing/story mistakes that you'll let it slide just the once :) thanks!)**

* * *

Australia is amazing.

It is everything that he ever imagined it to be and so much more.

The beaches here are beautiful, the locals are friendly and even the food is great.

He can't say a bad thing about the place.

So why the hell does he feel so sick and anxious right now?

Damon takes a deep breath as he stands out on the porch of the beach house they are staying in, looking out over the ocean of Bondi Beach, his hands resting in his shorts pocket, his right one clutching a box tightly.

He steps down the porch decks and walks out into the sand, the grains slipping into his sandals as he strolls along.

He hears Elena before he sees her.

She's in the water attempting to surf with some Australian locals that they became friendly with since they got to this part of Sydney just over a week ago. She's laughing loudly, trying not to choke on the salt water as she goes to jump up on the board as a fairly sized wave comes along.

He smiles at the sound. At the way she looks so free right now, so happy, so alive.

He loves her so much.

They've been in Australia now for over a month, and they still have another three weeks left in the country before they are flying back to New York to start living in the real grown up world now that they have both graduated from college. They've already traveled the country, hitting Melbourne, Perth, Cairns and Adelaide before landing here in Sydney.

He thinks they'll probably end up staying here for the rest of their trip. He likes it here and he knows that Elena does too.

He chuckles to himself as the big wave Elena was waiting for comes along and she manages to stay standing on the board for a good 40 seconds before she goes flying off.

For a second a wave of worry and panic overtakes him as he watches his girlfriend go crashing into the surf, disappearing from sight as she sinks under the water but it doesn't take her long to resurface and he lets out a breath of relief and his smile comes straight back as he watches her giggle, push her wet hair from her face and climb back onto her board to try all over again.

Another reason why he loves her.

She never gives up.

"Hey Damon!" Harry, a local they met who works in one of the bars along the coastal strip they are near. "What you doing just standing there mate? Come join us! Some of these waves are insane!"

He clutches the box in his shorts pocket even tighter and sees from the corner of his eye that Elena has noticed his presence. "I'm good Harry, maybe tomorrow!" he calls out.

"Chicken!" Harry teasingly shouts back but he just laughs and shakes his head.

He stands still and watches as Elena starts to swim back out to shore and he immediately tenses and holds onto the box tightly in his pocket.

Shit.

"Hey." she sounds breathless as she walks out of the water and he feels his penis twitching as the water drips down her barely covered body. Her bikini not leaving much to the imagination and all he wants to do is reach out and touch her. "You ok?" she tilts her head to the side, a small smile on her face.

"Yep." he nods quickly, his eyes wide and he watches as an evil smirk crosses her lips.

"You like?" she asks quietly, a teasing tone to her voice and it makes his heart skip a beat.

"You know that I do." he smirks back, his worry and panic momentarily forgotten about. "I hope you're going to give me a private show later."

"If you're lucky." she winks at him and he laughs and it puts his guard down because before he knows it Elena is right in front of him with her arms wrapped around his waist and he immediately tenses and pulls back. "What's wrong?" she asks confused, looking at him worriedly.

"Nothing." he tries to sound casual but even he can hear the nerves in his voice. "I just...don't wanna get wet." he lies lamely and sees Elena go to speak again but he cuts her off. "I've just showered." he continues. "I don't want to smell of salt water again."

"Ok..." she frowns and he can tell she is unsure of whether or not to believe him but he sighs in relief when she seems to let it go. "So, where are you taking me tonight? You promised me a hot date, Salvatore."

"And a hot date is what you will get." he feels himself going back to normal. "I need to go and email Stefan about something, I'll see you back at the house?"

Elena nods her head. "Sure. I won't be too long."

"Good." he smiles sweetly at her before stepping back and walking back towards the beach house, looking behind him briefly to see Elena stood still watching him go and he throws a smile in her direction before walking back inside, cursing himself for being such an idiot and going down there in the first place when he has her damn engagement ring in his pocket for her to easily find.

He needs to make sure it's in his possession at all times, he can't let her see it before tonight.

* * *

So Damon has been acting weird.

She knew he wasn't himself when she hinted at him to join her in the shower and he completely missed it. She practically had to spell it out for him, and when he did finally get the message she didn't miss the look of panic that crossed his face before he stuttered out an excuse about how he needed to go to the grocery store because they'd ran out of milk and it was about to shut for the night.

She tries to think back to the past few days since he started acting differently, wondering if she'd done something unintentionally to piss him off or upset him and he wasn't telling her about it.

But she can't come up with anything.

As far as she knew, they were having the best time of their lives here.

So what the hell was the problem?

"Hey Elena." Damon taps his knuckle on the bathroom door. "You ready baby? We're going to be late."

"Yeah just a sec!" she calls back before finishing up with her mascara. She quickly applies some lip balm before giving herself a once over in the long mirror.

Her white summer dress is flowing down her tanned body and she thinks she looks hot, hopefully hot enough for Damon to snap out of whatever phunk he is in right now. Her hair is in waves, flowing past her shoulders as her side fringe hangs to the side.

She takes a deep breath, fighting off the nervous feeling in her stomach because she's not exactly sure what she has to be nervous about.

It's Damon.

When she opens the door she sees Damon's eyes widen slightly as he gives her a once over and she smiles, that familiar feeling of butterflies creeping into her stomach and she knows that she has succeeded.

He looks hot himself in his tight black shirt and dark jeans and she watches as he steps forward before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"You look beautiful." he murmurs against her mouth before kissing her again, deeper this time and she quickly returns it, her arms wrapped around him, pulling him as close enough as he can but the second he is pinned against her he quickly pulls away and steps back. "Come on," he puts on a smile and holds out his hand. "Don't want to be late."

She nods her head and plasters on her own smile as she follows him out and they take a slow walk along the coastal strip, walking down the busy road through the hustle and bustle of different kinds of people. Tourists and locals, young and old.

She clutches onto Damon's hand tightly, telling herself that she's just being paranoid, that Damon isn't being distant with her.

But she notices the way he keeps fidgeting, the way he keeps playing with the collar of his shirt, the way that his left hand is fisted into his jeans pocket, his entire body tense.

We stop outside a fancy seafood restaurant and Damon opens the door before leading me inside.

"Table for Salvatore." he smiles at the pretty waitress who immediately checks my boyfriend out and I scowl at her in annoyance.

It's been nearly five years since they got together and she's still not used to the way that girls shamefully eye her boyfriend up and down right in front of her.

Do they have no tact?

"Right this way Mr Salvatore." she grins at him, completely ignoring her and she rolls her eyes and lets Damon pull her along through the crowded restaurant to a more private spot in the back corner.

"Thank you." he nods at the waitress politely before holding out a chair for her and sliding her in, he squeezes her bare shoulder for a moment before going to sit on his own chair across from her own.

"Can I get you any drinks?" the waitress asks, her eyes lingering on Damon.

"Red?" he looks at her and she nods her head with a small smile. "Bottle of your finest red wine please." he speaks without taking his eyes off of her, much to the waitresses dismay.

"You don't want beer?" she asks surprised, usually Damon opts out of the wine and gets her a glass, choosing a simple beer or bourbon for himself.

"I want what you want." he smiles sweetly at her and Elena swears her heart skips a beat.

"Come here." she smiles at him and pats the space on the table next to her, motioning for Damon to bring his chair around to her left so he is sat diagonal to her instead.

Damon smiles almost shyly and stands up and moves the chair and sitting back down, shuffling closer to her as she reaches out her hands and places them on his cheeks. "That's better." she smiles. "I can kiss you now." she leans forward and presses her lips against his in a slow soft kiss.

A clearing of the throat interrupts them however and she pulls away just in time to see the waitress from before place their drinks on the table, a smile on her face but it's nowhere near as genuine as before. "Here's your menus, I'll be back soon to take your orders."

Damon pops open the wine and pours them each a glass and he raises his. "A toast?" he suggests and she can't help but smile and hold her own glass up. "To being here in one of the greatest countries in the world, to graduating to college, to us." he winks at her and her smile widens.

"To us." she clinks her glass against his before taking a sip, watching him over the rim of her glass before she puts it back down on the table. "So...what are we eating?"

Elena ends up not being able to decide between the lobster and the calamari so Damon decides to order both and they share each platter between them. As always, they share a desert and go for the simple choice of chocolate cake, it's delicious, of course.

Once they've finished, Damon pays the bill and they leave, her arm linked through his and Damon suggests they take a walk along the beach.

She quickly agrees and they both slip off their shoes and hold them in their spare hands as they walk along the shore, the waves coming out and riding over their bare feet.

As beautiful as this night has been, she can't help but notice that Damon was gone quiet again. During dinner he was fine, back to his normal self, but the second they left the restaurant he was back to being reserved and fidgety and she was debating whether or not to say anything.

She doesn't want to start an argument tonight.

They walk further along to the beach and stop at the docks, Damon helps her up onto the wooden decking and motions for her to follow him. She frowns confused, wondering why he wants to walk through this bay when there is nothing to see but a ton of boats and yachts.

Which is why she's surprised when they stop by a medium sized yacht.

Damon unloops her arm from his and quickly unties the rope that is holding the boat to the wooden dock and her eyes widen in horror.

"Damon!" she hisses, frantically looking around to make sure that no one is around. "What are you doing?!"

"Relax." Damon laughs and she'd be grateful for the sound if she wasn't so mortified about what she thinks he's about to do. "I'm not stealing the damn thing, Elena." he smirks before holding out his hand.

She looks at his hand warily. "You're not?"

"No!" he chuckles and moves his hand, motioning for her to take it. "I've rented it for the night."

"Oh." her mouth opens up slightly in shock, because stupidly, that thought didn't even cross her mind.

Damon shakes his head with a smile before he grabs her hand and helps her onto the boat. He moves around to the drivers part and pulls out some keys from his pocket and slipping it into the ignition.

She watches him curiously as the engine of the yacht roars to life and they start to move away slowly.

She knows he knows how to drive a boat, they've done so many times before while they've been travelling.

He surprised her one evening when they were in the South of France right after High School, he'd rented a boat, one just like the one they were in now, and he swore to her that he knew what he was doing.

She thought he was just saying that to get her to go with him.

She was proved wrong of course.

She found out that he had boat lessons when he was younger and his Grandfather used to take him and Stefan sailing during some of their summer vacations.

He was very smug and made sure to say _I told you so_.

She wraps her arms around Damon from behind as they move further away from the shore and into the deep dark water, she presses small kisses between his shoulder blades through the thin material of his shirt and she smiles when he takes one hand off the wheel to place on top of her own, their fingers linking together.

"I love you." she murmurs softly into his ear, briefly having to stand up on her tip toes to reach it.

"I love you too." she hears him reply and they stay like that for a while before Damon eventually turns off the engine and turns to face her with a smile.

"Stay here." he tells her firmly and she raises her eyebrow curiously and watches as he walks around the other side of the boat, her view of that side blocked.

After about ten long minutes, she calls out his name, asking if she can go round yet because she's starting to get bored and she misses him.

"Just a second!" she hears him call back and she sighs happily and lets the feeling of giddiness and excitement overtake her as she wonders what he is up too. "Ok!" he shouts. "You can come round!"

She grins and moves around the boat and she gasps when she finally makes it to his end of the boat.

It's not something that is particular spectacular, it's nothing that she hasn't seen before in movies or read about in books.

But when she sees the small blanket on the deck of the boat, candles lit around it, rose petals darted about and two glasses of champagne balanced on top, a strawberry placed in each one, her heart sets on fire.

But that's not what makes her gasp.

No.

It's Damon, in the middle of all that kneeled down on one knee.

An open box in his hand.

A ring inside.

She slowly takes a step forward as she notices Damon gulp before opening his mouth.

"I went through a million ways in my head about how I was going to do this." she hears the nerves in his voice, his words coming out shaky and she doesn't miss the fear in his eyes, his blue pools lightening up from the candles that surround him. "At first I thought about doing it on your graduation day, but it seemed to be too chaotic, then I thought I'd do it on your birthday, but I didn't want to take the attention away from that. So I thought I'd do it the night before we left for Australia, but the timing didn't seem right, I needed it to be special, to be perfect. There were so many nights when I took you out on dates, with the intention to propose." she thinks back over the last few weeks, and it seems so clear now, there were so many nights when Damon spoiled her rotten, took her to fancy restaurants or made special picnics for them on beaches with candles and roses. She just thought he was making Australia extra special for her.

She honestly had no idea about his real intentions.

"But nothing seemed good enough, no matter what I did, what I planned, nothing seemed fitting to show you how much I love you, how serious I am about asking you this question. It wasn't until during the flight to Sydney from Adelaide when I realized that I didn't have to make some big romantic gesture, that I didn't have to find a unique amazing epic way to propose to you. It was when you told me the story about when your Dad proposed to your Mom," she blinks in surprise, because she told that story so casually during one of their many flights in a moment of boredom, she didn't think that he was even listening properly. "You said he was over at your Mom's house for dinner, that it was a regular routine and they were eating spaghetti and meatballs because that's one of the only things that your Mom could cook, you said that they'd did the same routine hundreds of times, but then your Dad just blurted out that he wanted to marry her. Your Mom said yes and she told you it was the best night of her life and she couldn't think of a better way for him to propose, because it was just so him." he takes another deep breath and I feel a tear slide down my cheek. "That's when I realized that it didn't matter _how_ I propose to you, because our engagement is just the beginning, this proposal is _hopefully_ just the beginning. All that matters is that you know how much I love you, that you know and understand how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you, that you know that I want to start a family with you, grow old with you, be with you forever. I'm so insanely madly in love with you, Elena Gilbert, and I want nothing more than for you to be my wife."

She doesn't realize it, but she's now standing right in front of him, her body towering over his as he kneels down in front of her and he takes her left hand in his, looking up at her with watering eyes as a tear falls down his cheek.

"Marry me, Elena?"

She watches him with wide eyes as he looks up at her with a mixture of fear and hope in his face.

She falls down onto her knees in front of him, her head nodding furiously and she watches as a wide smile crosses his face.

"Yes! Yes!" She wraps her arms around his neck tightly and we almost tumble backwards at the impact. "Of course I will marry you!" she pulls back and peppers his face with kisses and Damon laughs against her lips and kisses her hungrily.

He stops after a short moment though and lifts up the box between them. "Wait, let me put your ring on first." his smile is the widest she has ever seen it and she knows she's matching it.

Her face stings but she can't stop.

Her heart flutters and her hand shakes as Damon takes the ring from the box and takes a hold of her left hand before sliding the ring onto her finger.

The ring is beautiful, and it's diamond, and she shivers with excitement before looking up at her boyfriend, no, fiance, with a watery smile.

"I love you so much, Damon."

"I love you too." he places both of his hands on either side of her face and kisses her hard, the two of them falling back onto the blanket as the kiss deepens.

The only light coming from the candles around them and the full clear bright moon above.

They make love right there on the boat, nothing around them but the dark deep sea as they shower each other with kisses, barely stopping until the sun came up.

She can't wait to spend the rest of her life with Damon.

She can't wait to become Mrs Elena Salvatore.

* * *

**I hope that was worth the wait!**

**I know a lot of you had requested a proposal chapter, and I hope that it was good enough for you all :) **

**Please review and let me know! **

**PS, don't forget to check out Cannonball! It'll mean a lot :)**

**Until next time! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**This chapter is set towards the end of the summer before Damon and Elena's senior year at college.**

**Damon is 22 and Elena 21.**

**Hope you like it...**

* * *

"It's too hot to be moving." Elena lifts up her tank top a few times to let the air in as she stands in her old apartment surrounded by empty boxes as she fans herself with her hands.

"Oh please, you'd think you'd be used to this weather by now." Charlotte smiles at her as she tapes up one of the many boxes taking up their living room.

She smiles thinking back to the summer she has just had with Damon, the two of them spent two months travelling to the Dominican Republican, Jamaica, Barbados, and St Lucia before flying back to New York from The Bahamas two days ago to prepare for their final year at college which starts in three weeks.

"That still doesn't make this any less exhausting."

After spending their first year living in the college dormitory's and their sophomore and junior years living with their friends, both Damon and Elena decided to make the decision to spend their senior year living together just the two of them.

"Yeah and where are the boys? Funny how they disappear just as all the hard work starts." Charlotte rolls her eyes and she laughs and nods her head in agreement.

"Hey now, have some faith, Charlotte." Damon walks into the apartment wearing just a dark blue vest top and black shorts with a NYU baseball cap placed backwards on his head. She can't help but lick her lips as the vest clings tightly to his body, showing off his muscled body and biceps, his tanned arms and legs from their summer vacation giving him even more of an extra sexier edge than usual.

He is truly something.

"Hi you," She smiles at him flirtatiously before greeting him with a slow kiss. "You're late."

"I know, I know." He turns his head around just as Will wonders in, sweat dripping from his forehead. "We lost track of time at the batting cages, gotta keep fit while the season is out, you know?" he eyes her up and down slowly, his eyes bulging at her tight fitting white tank top and dark jean short shorts showing off her long tanned legs.

She is beautiful.

"He's been running me ragged." Will huffs behind them breathlessly as he wipes his brow of sweat. "And now he wants me to move boxes across town? Who does he think I am?"

"Oh come on," he shakes his head with a smile, turning around to face his best friend, his hand running down Elena's arm before linking their fingers together. "It's only three blocks away."

"I still don't see why you need to even get your own place anyway, what's one more year?" Will asks casually.

"Yeah," Charlotte joins in. "I mean you practically live together anyway, staying where you are is totally better for rent control."

"Oh come on," Damon smirks. "It's not like we are moving far. I know we're both awesome but you _can_ live without us you know."

"Oh please, I just don't want to live with Bryan on my own." Will waves him off. "It has nothing to do with you personally Salvatore, you're messy and you never put food back in the fridge so it always goes off and smells weird, you never be quiet when you come home late and everyone else is asleep, _and_ you get water everywhere in the bathroom." He lists off my bad traits one by one. "Yeah, good luck with him Elena." He whistles slightly.

Elena smiles and runs her spare hand down Damon's chest slowly. "Aw it's fine Will, I know all about his bad habits. I'll kick him into gear."

"Oh will you now?" Damon wiggles his eyebrows at her and Elena rolls her eyes before pushing him away.

"Ok, enough chit chat, we've packed most of the boxes up already so start with those." She points to some boxes by the door.

"Geez Elena how much stuff do you have?" Will eyes them up warily.

"A lot." She grins at him. "Thanks for volunteering!" she skips off into her bedroom before he can even argue.

After hours of trailing back and forth between Elena's old apartment and their new one, in the scorching August New York heat carrying heavy boxes and dragging along packed to the brim suitcases, Elena finally had all her things into their new apartment.

"Oh man, remind me to take a rain check when you move the rest of your crap over here, Damon." Will crashes down onto the sofa in the lounge and Damon chuckles before grabbing a few beers from the cold fridge and passing everyone one before dropping onto the couch next to Elena, his arm immediately wrapping around her.

"I'm exhausted." She yawns while leaning her head onto his shoulder. "Can we unpack properly tomorrow? I'm too tired to do anything else today." She tilts her head to look up at him.

"Sure baby. How about we just chill out here tonight? Order in a pizza, have a few beers?"

"Sounds good to me!" Charlotte grins. "Shall I text Annie to come over after work?" she asks, meaning Elena's other roommate, or well, ex-roommate now.

"Sure." Elena agrees with a smile.

"I'll ask Bry over too, even though the jackass bailed on helping us move." Damon rolls his eyes as he thinks about his lazy roommate, he loves the guy but it drives him crazy sometimes that he doesn't seem to know what early mornings look like, hell he barely makes it out of his bedroom during sunlight.

"Ok, but make sure it's not a late one, I have work first thing." Elena yawns tiredly and nuzzles her head into Damon's chest.

She started working part time at a local coffee shop during her junior year, the pay wasn't spectacular and neither was her hours, but the extra cash helped a lot and she needed it.

Damon insisted that she didn't need a job, and that he would pay for anything that she needs but obviously she wasn't happy about that. In fact, they had many arguments about it when she first started looking for work. He wasn't happy that it would mean they would get to spend even less time together, especially if she ended up working in a bar or a club, taking her away for some of their evenings which were when they saw each other most.

In the end, she found a local coffee shop about 10 minutes away from her apartment that were needing someone to work for a few hours a couple of days a week. It was perfect because she could fit it around her classes, and although the early morning starts were a pain in the ass, especially if she'd been out the night before, she still appreciated to be working and earning her own money.

Damon was happy, because she never ever worked past 6 and it wasn't a bar where she'd get hit on by drunken idiots all the time. In fact, the only thing he didn't like about it was the 5am alarms that would wake him up some mornings.

* * *

They'd only been living in the new apartment for two weeks when they had their first guests.

Caroline and Bonnie had decided to make an impromptu visit to New York before the new semester started, and Elena being the good friend that she is insisted that they share their only guestroom instead of forking out the cash for a hotel.

Damon of course, wasn't exactly thrilled by this.

"Elena, if it's money that is a problem, I'll pay for their rooms myself, hell, I'll even get them a penthouse suite if that's what they want." He follows Elena into the guest bedroom.

"Don't be silly." Elena scolds him as she starts to put fresh sheets the double bed. "They are my best friends; I'm not going to make them stay in a hotel when they have come all this way just to see me."

"They'll still get to see you. Hell, there is a Hilton just a couple of blocks away!"

"No." she rolls her eyes at him. "They are staying here, ok? That's final."

"I can't believe you're making me endure three full days of living with Caroline Forbes." He huffs as he watches Elena make the room presentable.

"Oh come on, she's not that bad."

"You would say that, she doesn't pick at every single little thing that you say and do, or criticizes you every single chance that she gets."

"She doesn't do that." she defends her best friend but there isn't a force to her voice and when I raise my eyebrow at her, she sighs loudly. "Ok fine, you're not her favorite person but you're growing on her, and I thought she was growing on you too? What happened? Last time you saw her you even _smiled_ at something she said." She teases me.

"That doesn't mean I want her in my home-"

"_Our_ home."

"Our home," he rolls his eyes. "For 72 freaking hours!"

"It's not like you'll be spending all of your time with her, in fact, I bet you've already planned a way to avoid this place for the whole weekend."

"Not for the _whole_ weekend." He smirks at her and Elena just shakes her head before finishing up with the bed and approaching Damon.

"Promise me you'll behave?" she wraps her arms around his neck, his hands immediately falling to their usual place on her hips.

"Ah, now I don't like making promises that I cannot keep."

"Damon," she dips her head and presses a slow sensual kiss on his neck, one of her arms falling downwards, her hand sliding down his chest over his black t-shirt. "Please," she starts to leave a trail of kisses. "For me?" she lifts her head back up and lightly presses her lips against the corner of his mouth.

Damon groans slightly as her hand slides lower and lands over the growing bulge in his sweat pants. "Do I get anything in return?" he asks in a low tone, his hand slipping down to cup her ass over her tight jean shorts.

"I promise to make it worth your while." She stares at his lips before pressing her mouth against his. Damon immediately deepens the kiss and goes to push her back onto the bed behind her but a shrilling loud sound interrupts them and Elena immediately pulls away.

Damon groans as he watches her breathlessly pull out her cell phone from her shorts pocket and send him an apologetic smile. "Hey Caroline." She taps Damon on the chest and steps back.

"Oh god, it's starting already." He groans in annoyance, watching in frustration as Elena leaves the room.

* * *

Elena smiles as Damon waves at her from the pitch below her, and she can't help but lick her lips as she admires him in his baseball uniform, his cap on top of his head blocking the sun from his eyes, his bat clutched tightly between his fingers and she cheers as he takes his place to batting.

"GO Damon!" she hollers with a grin.

"Urgh, this sucks. Is it over yet?" Caroline whines from beside her but she just rolls her eyes and watches as Damon hits the ball with a thud, just like always, and she cheers and jumps up and down as the ball flies straight outfield and he makes a homerun.

"Wait, why are you cheering? Did we score?" Caroline asks confused.

Bonnie chuckles and starts to explain some of the rules to Caroline but she knows her blonde friend will lose interest after 10 seconds, she was a cheerleader for the football team for 4 years and Elena is sure she doesn't even know what a touchdown is.

"How come this game is even happening? It's summer, school hasn't started yet." Caroline frowns confused and Elena shakes her head and takes a sip from her bottle of water.

"I told you already. It's a fundraiser game, Care, some proceeds go towards buying new training equipment and uniforms and the rest goes to homeless hostels in and around the city."

"_What_? Damon Salvatore doing something charitable? What is the world coming too?!" she mocks slightly.

"Caroline," she hisses at her in annoyance. "I thought you agreed to be nice?"

"To his face." Caroline rolls her eyes. "He can't hear me."

"No but _I_ can." She mutters. "Seriously, you need to stop with your Damon hate, he's been nothing but civil to you since you got here yesterday and in fact, it's been nearly four years since we've been together and you not supporting us is starting to get a little old."

"Oh come on! You know I support you in everything you do, Elena, even your relationship with him."

"Well then maybe you should do a better job in showing it."

"Girls," Bonnie interrupts calmly with a smile. "Time and place."

"Sorry." They both mumble at the same time and she can't help the smile that creeps onto her face, matching the growing one on Caroline's.

Sometimes things don't change.

"Elena!"

She looks up to see Bryan walking up the steps of the bleachers towards them, his dark green t-shirt tight against his chest, his black shorts hanging too his knees and his blonde hair as messy as ever.

"Hey." She greets Damon's old roommate with a smile. "Am I seeing things? Or are you actually out of your stoner pit before sunset?"

" ." he rolls his eyes as he takes an empty seat beside her. "So, are you not going to introduce me to these two beautiful ladies?" he smirks and she rolls her eyes as she looks back to her friends to see them both swooning.

"Play nice." She warns him quietly. "These are my best friends from home, Caroline," she motions to the girl beside her. "And that's Bonnie, who also happens to be dating my _brother_ so hands off!"

"Elena!" Bonnie gasps in embarrassment.

"Nice to meet you both." He holds his hand out to shake Caroline's hand before standing up and reaching over to shake Bonnie's.

"Pleasure." Caroline grins at him and she watches with a quiet groan as Bryan slowly eyes her up and down.

Since Tyler and Caroline are in the _off_ again stage of their relationship, she knows that her BFF will be on the loose looking for a male companion, and she also knows that Bryan will be more than willing to comply to her.

"So, what did I miss?" he leans back into his seat and pulls on his sunglasses, probably to hide his hangover.

"Damon's team are winning, he just scored a homerun." She tells him proudly with a smile.

"And Will?" he asks amused. "He looked in no fit state to play baseball this morning." He chuckles.

"Oh God, you guys went out last night didn't you? I knew it!" she shakes her head disapprovingly and she looks briefly back at Damon who is stood chatting to his teammates as someone else takes their bat and that's when she notices him rub his temples every now and then, his eyes squinting.

He has a hangover.

She looks over at Will who is sat down on the bench, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes and his cap pulled as low as possible over his head, his arms crossed over his stomach.

Damon had decided to give the girls the apartment to themselves on their first night, saying that he would stay at Will and Bryan's place so he wouldn't get in the way. She insisted that he didn't have to go, but he really didn't mind, and now she knows why that was.

"We only went to the bar." Bryan defends them immediately, meaning the bar that coincidently happens to be across the street to their apartment, which she knows was so much more than a coincidence when they just so happened to pick that apartment to live in, instead of a place which she knows was so much better and more spacious, _but_ didn't happen to be across the street to a cheap bar.

"_Only _to the bar." She rolls her eyes. "The same bar which you are pally with half the bar staff and somehow manage to get yourselves free shots for half the night?"

"Well what can I say? They reward their loyal customers." He smirks and she shakes her head with a smile.

"You're a bad influence, Bry."

"Oh please." He waves her off before leaning over to look at Caroline. "You knew Damon before I did, tell me Caroline, out of the two of us, which one do you think is the bad influence?"

Before Caroline can respond she immediately steps in. "Ok, she doesn't know you so that is not a fair question! And besides, even if she did her answer would be the same because she's bias!"

"I am not!" Caroline defends herself immediately.

"Ok fine, then go on, answer." She sits back and watches as Caroline smiles at Bryan.

"Well I've known Damon for a few years, so naturally I'd have to answer with him being the bad influence." She tells him with flirtatious eyes and Elena shakes her head knowingly and glances at Bonnie who is laughing.

"Elena, I like your friends." Bryan nudges her in the side and she glares at them both before standing up and shuffling past Caroline to sit on the other side of Bonnie.

Bryan just laughs and takes his place in my now vacated seat beside Caroline and she turns her attention back on the game, not wanting to have to be tuned in on Caroline and Bryan flirting.

* * *

"Stupid shit pop music." Damon grumbles to himself as he turns off the shower to hear the loud beat of some boy-band or _teenage sensation_ or whatever the hell it is that the girls are blaring right now.

Sometimes he forgets how bad his girlfriend's taste in music can be sometimes, especially when under the influence of her hometown friends.

He wishes he took Will and Bryan up on the offer to head straight back to their apartment after the game, but no, instead he decided to go home first to shower and sort himself out before meeting back up with them.

Big mistake.

He grabs his towel and runs it over his face and his head to dry his hair, and if it wasn't for the ridiculously loud music blaring from the guest bedroom next door, he may have heard the sound of the handle turning and the door opening.

No.

Because of this shit unbearable ridiculously loud pop music, he had the pleasure of hearing the shrieking scream of Caroline Forbes instead.

"AHHH! OH MY GOD!" he drops his towel from his face in fright to see a frozen looking Caroline stood at the door, her eyes wide in shock as she quickly covers her face with her hands.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" he bends down and picks up his discarded towel, immediately covering himself up but he knows from the blush on Caroline's cheeks that it's too late. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"With me?!" Caroline shouts back at him furiously, her fingers still covering her eyes despite him now being partially naked instead of completely. "Who the hell showers without locking the door!"

"It's _my _apartment! I forgot!"

"You _forgot_?"

"Yes! It's not like we've had many guests within the two whole weeks we've lived here! I'm normally just used to it being me and Elena!"

"And now because of your stupidity I am traumatised!" she shrieks and he rolls his eyes in annoyance.

"You're traumatized? You're not the one stood here in a tiny towel right now after your girlfriends annoying friend has just seen you naked!"

"Excuse me? Annoying friend? Says the arrogant asshole!" she scoffs offended, her hand slipping from her face. "You are so rude!"

"Whatever!" he snaps. "Why are you still here! Jesus!"

He watches as she practically stamps her feet before turning around and and leaving.

He lets out a loud groan and hits his head off the shower glass in frustration and disbelief at what just happened.

"And one more thing!" he jumps slightly and turns back to the door which Caroline is suddenly back at. "Do not tell Elena about this, or _anyone_ actually! This is embarrassing enough as it is!"

"Oh don't you worry about that, I'm mortified myself, _thanks_." he spits at her coldly and this time when she leaves he follows as far as the door before quickly flipping the lock.

As soon as Caroline and Bonnie leave he is making a no guest rule and turning the spare bedroom into a gym.

* * *

So Caroline has been acting weird all night, Elena has noticed.

She can't pinpoint what it is, but it's almost as if she's hiding something, she's just not sure of what.

Bonnie doesn't seem to know what's going on with their blonde friend either, but she figures that after a few more drinks Caroline will open up as normal.

"It's so pricey in here." she looks at the cocktail menu in her hands, already having ordered a drink earlier but did not enjoy the amount of money that had to leave her purse for it. "Why don't we go somewhere else?" she suggests.

"Sounds good to me." Bonnie quickly agrees. "I don't know how you and Damon can afford to live in the city, it's crazy expensive compared to Mystic Falls."

"We get by." she smiles slightly, still very much aware that Damon's wealth isn't public knowledge. "You want to go somewhere else, Care?" she asks her friend who is staring off into space bored.

"Sure." Caroline puts on a smile that is far too wide before standing up. "Let's get out of here, show us the way, Elena!"

She smiles and links her arms between both of her friends as they walk out into the dark but brightly lit up busy New York streets.

"I have just the place." she muses after a few minutes of walking. "Come on, it's just two subway stops away."

After an uneventful ride on the subway, surprisingly, Caroline didn't whine about how dirty it was like she did earlier that day, they arrived to their destination.

She opens the door and smiles at the fairly crowded place, and she knows why her boyfriend loves it so much. It's never empty, there's always a buzz around the place but it's never so busy that you feel over crowded or like you can't move or dance properly.

She spots Damon stood by the pool table beside Will, Bryan and a few of their friends. She notices Charlotte, Annie and a couple of her own girlfriends too and she quickly leads the way over but not before hearing Caroline groan behind her.

"Urgh, Damon's here? I thought this was girls only!" she huffs.

"Care please." she turns around to face her friend with a tired sigh. "Make an effort, for me, please."

"Fine." Caroline holds her hands up. "For you."

"Thank you." she smiles slightly before turning back and continuing. "Hey!" she greets everyone happily before skipping towards Damon.

"Elena." he looks at her surprised and smiles slightly, but she doesn't miss the way his eyes land behind her briefly and he tenses slightly. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugs. "We want to have a good night, so why not come here? Besides, the places uptown were too expensive and we didn't want to waste our money on overpriced cocktails."

"So you chose to come for cheap beer and whiskey instead?" he smirks slightly at her.

"Oh come on, you know Jim makes a good cocktail." she replies with a smile, motioning to one of the bartenders.

"Don't tell him that." Damon chuckles and she turns around and starts introducing everyone to Bonnie and Caroline.

Caroline and Bryan immediately start chatting away and she's glad to see that Caroline is back to her usual self again, and she puts it in the back of her mind to ask her best friend what was bothering her earlier another time.

"Hey." she pulls Damon away from everyone. "You haven't said hello to me yet." she smiles flirtatiously before standing up on her tip toes, her lips hovering by his.

"Sorry," he gives her a little grin before kissing her slowly, his arms immediately wrapping around her.

"That's better." she smiles brightly after pulling away. "I've missed you today, I feel like I've barely seen you."

"You saw me earlier..."

"Yeah for like five minutes, you darted out of our apartment so fast that you barely even said goodbye." she frowns slightly when she thinks about it before a smile tugs on her lips. "Does Caroline scare you that much?"

His eyes widen immediately and she looks at him confused. "Wh-what?" he practically stutters out. "Why would Caroline scare me?"

"I..." she trails unsure of what to say. "What's wrong with you?" she laughs slightly. "You're tense..." she runs her hands across his shoulders before realization crosses over her. "Wait, did something happen with you and Caroline earlier? Because she's been acting weird around me all night. Please don't tell me you had another fight, you promised you'd be nice."

He stays silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. "She just infuriates me."

"Damon, you know how much it hurts me that you two don't get along."

"I know, and I do try, ok? And half of the time, we don't even mean what we say to each other." he tries to diffuse the situation. "Don't you worry about me and Caroline, we'll be good, ok?" he leans down and kisses her quickly. "Now let me buy you a drink, I'll be right back." he squeezes her shoulder before heading towards the bar and she sighs before heading over to talk to her best friend who is stood talking with Bryan.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" she interrupts them.

"What? Now?" Caroline does not look like she wants to leave and Elena isn't sure if it's because she doesn't want to talk to he or because she doesn't want to leave Bryan.

"It'll just take a sec, I promise I'll bring her straight back to you." she smiles at Bryan who nods his head and shrugs.

"Fine with me, come find me when your done." he walks away leaving the two of them alone.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Caroline looks down at her painted finger nails and she definitely hears the nerves in her voice and she realizes that she's probably afraid of telling her about her fight with Damon and she decides to instead reassure her that it's ok.

Her and Bonnie are only going to be here for a couple more days, she doesn't want her childhood friend to feel awkward or uncomfortable just because she has a personality clash with her boyfriend.

"Look, Damon told me what happened." she watches Caroline's head snap up, her eyes wide.

"_What_? He did?"

"Yeah." she smiles a little. "And it's ok, really."

"It is?" Caroline looks surprised.

"Yes," she laughs slightly at her reaction. "Honestly, I should be used to this by now."

"You should?" Caroline looks confused and now she doesn't know why. "This has happened before?"

"Well...yeah..."

Caroline immediately lets out a dry laugh. "I told him he should have locked the door! Hell, he probably leaves it unlocked on purpose, I mean no offence babe, because we all know how vain Damon is."

Locked the door? What? How vain Damon is?

"Caroline..." I squint, frowning completely baffled. "What are you talking about? Locked what door?"

She watches as her best friend pales. "Oh crap." she notices Caroline's eyes dart past her and she turns her head just in time to see Damon approach them, two drinks in his hands, a glare on his face.

"What the hell is going on?" she looks between them both.

"Well done, Caroline!" Damon snipes at her coldly.

"Me?! You're the one who is spouting your mouth off! How was I supposed to know that you didn't tell her the truth!"

"The truth?" Elena interrupts, starting to get sincerely pissed off now. "Will one of you please tell me what the hell is happening!"

Damon sighs loudly. "Ok fine...earlier today...I was showering, and your stupid best friend here doesn't know how to knock-"

"I don't know how to knock? Excuse me! You should have locked the door! What kind of idiot doesn't lock a bathroom door when he's showering!"

"Oh my god!" Elena interrupts them. "Please tell me you didn't walk in on him in the shower?"

"Worse." Caroline cringes. "As he was standing stark naked climbing out of it, and it wasn't a pretty sight, trust me!"

"I wouldn't trust your opinion in that department darling with the guys you've hooked up with." Damon glares at her.

"Excuse me? You are one to talk, we both know your man whoring past!"

Damon is about to argue back with a comment of his own but they are both interupted by the sound of snorting and laughter.

It's Elena.

"You're laughing?!" Caroline looks at her best friend in disbelief.

"Oh my god, stop." Elena giggles and even holds out her hand onto Damon's arm to steady herself. "This is hilarious!"

"Hilarious?" Damon doesn't seem impressed in the slightest. "How the hell did you work that one out?"

"Out of everyone, it had to be Caroline." Elena laughs. "Oh wow!"

"Wait, you're not mad?" Damon asks confused.

"Why would I be mad?" she finally calms down, letting out a shaky amused breath.

"Well...because I walked in on your boyfriend..."

"It was an accident, and you two are clearly more pissed about it than I am!" she laughs again at the look on both of their faces. "Oh come on, why would you think you couldn't tell me about this?"

"Um, because it's mortifying." Damon scowls a little at Caroline. "And embarrassing."

"And because I've essentially seen your _boyfriend_ completely stark naked..."

Elena's smile falters a little and frowns. "When you put it like that..."

"On that note," Damon grabs Elena's hand after discarding their newly bought drinks to the side, and pulls her away towards the dance floor across the bar "Dance with me?" he twirls her around with a smile, before pulling her against him, his hands instantly wrapping around her tightly.

"Is this your way of distracting me away from the fact that my best friend has seen you naked?"

"Is it working?" he half grins at her and she lets out a small smile.

"Maybe." she wraps her arms around his neck. "But I may just have to _accidentally_ walk in on Will or Bryan when their showing just so we're even." she wiggles her eyebrows at him in the exact same way that he usually does to her, a devilish smirk on her lips.

"Oh hell no!"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Not much going on in this one, just wanted to show a brief glimpse to this time of their life so I hope it was ok!**

**Drop a review and let me know :)**

**Until next time! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**So, so sorry it's took me this long to update! I've been in a bid of a rut with this story right now tbh, I had the first half of this chapter written weeks ago but I could just never finish it until now.**

**Bit of an out of season chapter here but oh well! **

**Damon is 33, Elena 32, Declan 6. **

* * *

"Oof!" I hear Damon groan from beside me and I peel my tired eyes open just in time for my own legs to be crushed.

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up!"

"Too early!" I hear Damon whine from beside me tiredly but I smile when I see that he is already sat up straight, our son now sat comfortably in his lap and I turn my head to see Declan still jumping around my bed by my legs, and I pull myself up to my own seating position.

"Merry Christmas sweetie." I hold out my arms and he leaps over towards me for a tight hug and I press a kiss to his cheek before letting go and leaning over to Damon's side of the bed to see another pair of blue eyes shining excitedly back at me. "Merry Christmas Noah." I kiss him on the cheek before pulling him into my arms, his own immediately wrapping around my neck.

"Merry Christmas Momma! When can I open my presents?" my three year old replies with a toothy grin and I look over his shoulder to see Damon watching us with a soft smile on his face and my heart immediately flutters and I begin to wonder for the billionth time what I could have possible done in a previous life to end up with these three amazing boys in my life.

Noah Damon Salvatore, born nearly four years ago, is the perfect mixture of both me and his father looks wise, unlike Declan who is the double of Damon.

Behavior and attitude wise however, Noah is all Damon, even at just three years old.

"Who wants to go and see if Santa paid a visit last night?" Damon perks up, climbing out of bed and I grimace slightly as Declan and Noah both jump to their feet on the kingsize bed, totally not caring that they are standing on me.

"Come on!" Damon picks up a six year old Declan in one arm before hooking little Noah under his other, flinging them both over each of his shoulders.

"Be careful, Damon." I worry slightly as I climb out of bed myself and slip on my husband's large sweater over my head and follow them out of the room.

Damon looks back and grins at me. "Meet you down in a few? I promise I'll make sure these little munchkins won't open a single gift until you join us."

"Noooo! Can we open one? Please Daddy!" Declan shouts and Damon chuckles and shakes his head.

"Nope! Not until everyone is down by the tree together." Damon replies with a smirk.

"Hurry up Momma!" Noah shouts at me from down the hall as Damon carries them away and I smile and call back that I won't be long.

I walk across the hallway to the bedroom opposite ours and slowly open the door, I smile as I edge closer to the crib that is placed across the room and my heart melts when I look down to see matching dark brown eyes looking up at me, gurgling noises coming out of her cute pink lips.

"Hello beautiful." I reach my hands into the crib and pick up my sweet baby girl into my arms. "Merry Christmas." I kiss her soft forehead and pat her slowly on the back as her head lies onto my shoulder, soft yapping noises leaving her lips as she chats away in her own little language.

Grace Natalia Salvatore, Natalia being named after Damon's mother, was born just six short months ago and she is the cutest baby girl on the planet, I may be bias but that is the truth and I'm sure that if anyone said any differently Damon would most likely kick their ass.

"Come on, let's go and see Daddy and your big brothers." I push some of her dark brown hair from her forehead before leaving the room to walk downstairs where I can already hear the loud chatter from the living room of excited voices.

About five seconds after I walk into the room, Grace starts wiggling against me, her arms held out immediately for Damon and I watch as my husband grins smugly before standing to his feet to approach us.

"Morning Gracie!" he gushes as he steals her from my arms despite my protests and peppers her face with kisses and I can't help but smile as I watch the two of them interact, Grace's hand pressed onto Damon's face, her other one clutching his short hair.

Damon is such an amazing father, I can't even imagine him not being a Dad now, everything he does he does it for our kids and I know that he loves them more than anything in the world. It's hard to believe that while I was pregnant with Declan he was nervous to be a father, scared that he would end up like Giuseppe or he would fail in some kind of way. I know that he knows that isn't the case now though, he's confident in his ability to be a good Dad, and our kids absolutely worship him.

"Can we open our presents now?!" Declan looks up from his place by the tree, his Spider-Man pajamas covering his little body as he watches me with eager impatient eyes.

"Why don't we try taking our time this year?" I suggest as I kneel down beside him and Noah, Damon sitting next to me with Grace rested on his lap, leaning with her back against his chest as she now plays with her car keys, totally oblivious to the presents underneath the tree that are for her.

"I wanna go first!" Noah completely ignores what I just said as he dives under the tree to pick out the biggest gift with his name on.

"No you went first last year!" Declan argues.

"No I didn't!"

"You did!"

"Boys." I interrupt them. "Come on, no fighting on Christmas ok?"

"Ok Mommy." Declan sighs but Noah's attention is still focused solely on his unwrapped presents.

I glance at Damon who is smiling to himself and I shake my head with my own smile before picking up one of Grace's presents to hand over to him, even though she'll have no idea what is going on.

"Gracie can go first since this is her first Christmas." Damon says with a firm tone hidden in his voice.

"Daddy please!" Noah whines as he stands to his feet and tugs on Damon's arm. "Please Dad!"

"Gracie first." He repeats firmly.

"I don't know why you're arguing about going first anyway; me and your Uncle Jeremy always wanted to be the one who opened the very last present under the tree."

I watch as a look of interest crosses Noah's face and I try to hide my amusement as he eyes all the presents for a moment before turning back to Damon.

"Ok, Gracie can go first because this is her first Christmas." He gives his seal of approval, like he genuinely believes that this was his idea to begin with and I notice Damon trying to hide his smirk as he starts to help Grace unwrap her first gift.

I smile and sit back and watch my children open their presents with wide excited smiles on their faces and there is no better feeling in the world than the one when you watch them open their presents that they asked for on their Christmas list to Santa, toys that they have been asking for and wanting for weeks, even months.

I sit back and take photos, just enjoying the moment, still wondering how I got so lucky to be blessed with this beautiful family.

* * *

The next couple of hours go by with the same usual chaos that has been occurring for the last few years on Christmas morning, once all the gifts have been opened, I go to the kitchen to make everyone breakfast, knowing that we have plenty of time before we are due round at my Aunt Jenna's house since the boys got us up so early, but as I listen to the constant laughter and chatter coming from the living room I know it was worth it and they will enjoy those extra hours they have to play with their toys.

I smile when I feel a pair of familiar arms wrap around me from behind. "What are you thinking about?" Damon murmurs into my ear, his lips lightly touching my earlobe for a second.

I shrug and lean back into him. "I'm just happy." I smile and close my eyes as he nuzzles my neck before kissing it slowly.

"Mhmm." He mumbles against me before trailing kisses down to my shoulder. "Me too."

"Where's Gracie?" I ask curiously after a few moments.

"She's sitting with Dec, I've been sent in here to tell you to hurry up with breakfast, orders from your youngest son." He chuckles and I roll my eyes.

"God he is just like you."

I just _know_ that Damon is smirking right now. "He just knows what he wants and when he wants it, nothing wrong with that." He says lightly and I laugh before pulling away so I can walk to the fridge to pull out the milk carton to pour in his cereal.

"Sure, you would say that." I wink at him slightly before pouring the milk in the bowl and handing it to him. "There you go, deliver it to our majesty."

Damon chuckles and takes it from my hands. "Thanks." he leans forward to kiss me on the cheek. "Don't be long, you're missing all the fun." he smiles sweetly before wondering off back towards our kids.

I smile and let out a content sigh, taking in this short moment of peace before everything gets chaotic again.

I just know that the moment they step into my Aunt Jenna's house that I'm not going to even be able to hear myself think.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

I walk back into the living room with everyone's breakfast and we eat it all together on the floor just like we do every Christmas and birthdays, knowing that there is no way she would be able to tear the boys away from their toys for just 15 minutes to sit at the table.

"Come on you, come sit with Mommy." I pick up Grace from Damon's arms before sitting her on my lap to face me and pushing some of her soft hair from her face. "Are you hungry sweetie?" I lift her up slightly with a smile before glancing at Damon who is playing with the boys. "Babe, I'm going to go feed her then dress her will you make sure they get dressed and ready to go soon?"

"Sure." he smiles at me before I stand up, Grace in my arms and head towards the bedroom to breastfeed.

After feeding her and putting on her new dress that I bought specifically for her today, I quickly peak into Noah's bedroom where Damon is currently trying to persuade him to put his games console away so he can dress him.

I smile as I watch for a few moments before heading back towards my bedroom and placing Grace gently into the play pen placed across from the bed and I quickly get changed, knowing that I won't have much longer before I have to pack up the car and get everyone moving.

Of course by the time we get the boys dressed and ready to go, we are running late.

It's a usual occurrence from us Salvatore's, and it drives Damon absolutely crazy but I don't it's going to get any better anytime soon, if anything it'll only get worse once Grace is up and running on her feet!

"Merry Christmas!" Jenna swings open the door, a Christmas themed apron hanging over her.

"Nice sweater." Damon chuckles with a smirk, carrying Gracie in his arms as we we walk inside where Ric enters the room, a reindeer jumper covering his top half.

"Not a word, Salvatore." Ric glares at him and I laugh as I push the boys inside, and they immediately scatter off upstairs, probably to look for Joe and Alice so they can compare presents.

"How was your morning?" Jenna asks curiously as I follow her into the kitchen, Damon and Alaric immediately heading into the living room and no doubt the drinks cabinet.

"Chaotic." I smile. "But fun. Yours?"

"Same. Joey woke us up at 3am this morning!"

"No way!" I laugh with wide eyes. "I thought my lot were early!"

"Ric sent him back to bed, but then he came back with Alice barely an hour later! Eventually we gave in and took them downstairs to open their gifts."

We continue to make chatter as I help Jenna with the finishing touches to our dinner. Every year we take turns being to host, well, when it's our turn it's Damon who does most of the cooking, but that's only because he is such a control freak in the kitchen! Must be the Italian in him.

I nearly drop a bowl I'm carrying as I walk into the dining room and Noah runs straight across in front of me, Joey chasing him and I smile and I roll my eyes before placing it safely onto the table, not before shouting at them to not run in the house of course.

I walk into the living room where Damon is sat with Ric, Grace sat in his lap while a much bigger Alice is sat in Ric's and I smile as I pick up on her very animated story about how some boy called James in her class has cooties and tried to kiss her, Ric and Damon listening intently, gasping in all the appropriate places.

"Boys are silly aren't they." I grin as I take a seat beside Damon, tapping his arm while my other hand pushes some hair from Grace's face.

"So silly!" Alice agrees with me.

"Hey!" Damon sends us both a mocking glare. "I'll have you know, boys are better than girls."

"Agree." Ric smirks and it results in a punch to the shoulder from his daughter.

"Boys smell!"

I laugh as Alice and Ric bicker over who is better, boys or girls and Damon turns to face me with a raised eyebrow.

"Is this what I have to look forward too when this one gets older? You two ganging up on me over your distaste for men." he teases and I laugh and pull Grace from his lap and onto my own, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Yup! We are going to run rings around you Salvatore." I smirk. "I've been outnumbered by you boys for far too long! I need my revenge."

Damon chuckles and dips his head to press a slow soft kiss against my lips.

"Auntie Elena!" I hear Alice gasp in horror and I pull away and look over to find her staring at me mortified. "What are you doing! You'll catch cooties!"

"Woops." I jokingly wipe my mouth. "My mistake sweetie."

"Cooties huh?" Damon wiggles his eyebrows at her before leaping to his feet and catching Alice in his arms, immediately peppering her cheeks with kisses as she screams and squeals in his arms.

I laugh as I watch the scene and before I know it all three boys run into the room, not wanting to miss out, and jump on Damon, overpowering him too the floor as they play fight.

We spend the rest of the day doing what we do every year. Stuffing our faces on food, playing family games afterwards before swapping more gifts.

Damon and I then take the kids home before we settle all snuggled together on the sofa, a large blanket covering us, while we drink hot chocolate with marshmallows and watch a Christmas movie.

As the credits roll, I glance at Damon who has Grace asleep against his chest, Declan is half asleep in the middle of us, his eyes flicking between open and closed and Noah is completely conked out on my other side, his head resting in my lap as I play with his soft dark hair.

Damon smiles the softest smile and mouths 'I love you'.

"I love you too'" I whisper back, because I do. I love him, I love our children, our family.

Our life together.

"Merry Christmas, Elena." he smiles at me, his spare hand reaching out over Declan to land on my cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Damon."

* * *

**Hope that was ok, not my best chapter I know and there wasn't really much going on, but I was feeling a little pressured to get something up and posted so hope you still enjoyed it.**

**Thanks guys :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**Damon is 35, Elena 34, Declan 8, Noah 5 and Grace 2.**

**Warning: Minimum amount of fluff. **

* * *

"Bourbon." I grunt tiredly as I take a seat at the bar in The Grill.

"You know, I've worked on this bar since High School and I don't think I've ever heard you say the word please." Matt stares me down with a knowing look on his face, a hint of a smirk on his lips as his palms lie flat on the wooden bar between us.

I give him my best glare in my tired state and roll my eyes. "Shut it Donovan, give me my drink." I watch as Matt sighs before turning to pour me a glass of their finest bourbon, which honestly, really isn't even that great. I've tried to tell Matt before to order in better stock but he believes that no one else will buy it but me, and probably Alaric.

"Thanks." I mutter as he hands me the glass and I town it one and slam it down onto the bar again. "Refill." I huff and groan inwardly when Matt eyes me warily.

"Is everything ok?" He asks unsure.

"Peachy. Now refill, come on chop chop!" I push my class further towards him and watch with half a smirk as he reluctantly pours me more bourbon.

I decide to take my time with this one, there is no reason to waste the taste of good liquor, even if it is the basic standard kind.

"So, want to tell me what you're doing here alone on a Friday night? It's been a while, well unless your with Ric, or even Elena." He questions me and I can hear immediately the suspicion in his voice.

"You don't need to fulfill the bartender stereotype, Donovan." I glare at him and watch as he deflates in annoyance and goes to walk away but I speak up instead. "I've been on the road all week." Matt stops and turns around to face me before I continue. "It's near the end of the season, so the games and training sessions have been more frequent and intense. I've been out of town since Monday and haven't seen Elena and my kids since then, so when I got back to Mystic Falls earlier all I wanted to do was give my babies a kiss and a cuddle and then give Elena a _kiss_ and a _cuddle_ and just relax." I huff as I swirl my drink around.

"So then why the hell are you here and not at home with them?"

"You think I'd be here if I had a better option, Donovan?" I roll my eyes at his stupidity. "Isobel organised a surprise girls long weekend trip away to the beach or something, so Elena has gone there with Jenna and Bonnie and she's left the kids with Ric and Jeremy, who have then thought it was a good idea to make their own trip away for the night, so I'm not going to see them until tomorrow and Elena until Sunday, which makes me really pissed off."

"And grouchy." Matt joins in with a grin but when I look up at him with a glare he sighs and turns serious. "So you're upset that they've left without seeing you?"

"No." I shake my head. "I'm not upset with Elena, she deserves a break, I mean looking after three kids is hard work, especially since I haven't been around all week, and that is what makes me angry. I'm angry at myself that I've gone this long without seeing them, because when I took this job at UVA, I chose it because the hours were short so I would get to spend more time at home with Elena, but now..." I trail off tiredly. "It just sucks."

Matt nods his head slightly as he cleans the bar around me with a cloth. "You ever thought about doing something else?"

I shake my head and take another sip from my bourbon. "Not really. I love my job, I do, and I'm lucky to have it and to have so much time off, but it's just times like these that are frustrating."

"I get it." Matt agrees. "I enjoy working here too but sometimes when I can't read my kids their bedtime story or spend the evening with them, it makes me question if it's worth it."

"And your girl too."

He pulls a face slightly and looks down and I click my tongue and eye him with a smirk.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"I just..." he trails off for a moment in deep thought. "Do you and Elena argue?"

"Oh yeah." I grin slightly. "We fight about things all the time."

"But you make up?"

"_Oh yeah_." I repeat, but this time with a smirk. "The making up is definitely worth the fighting."

"And that's my problem." Matt sighs.

"What, you mean you two aren't..." I drift off a little amused but I almost feel bad for the guy when he shakes his head. "How long?"

"A few months, maybe," I feel my eyes widen. "But that's normal, right? I mean what normal married couple have a good sex life after having kids?" he asks me and I smirk and raise my eyebrow and watch as his entire body deflates. "Ok, well you and Elena clearly aren't a normal couple."

"You really think Ric goes that long? or Jeremy? Come on man, get your game face on." I tease him but he doesn't look the slightest bit amused. "Look, why don't you just take her out for dinner? Have a few glasses of wine and take things from there? Whenever Elena is pissed off at me and she withholds sex I normally just get her drunk, it works almost every time."

"You don't think I've tried that already?" He asks moodily.

I go to suggest something else but the ringing of my cellphone interrupts us and I tiredly pull it out of my jeans pocket without bothering to check the ID.

"Hello?"

"Can I speak to Mr Damon Salvatore?"

"Speaking?" I stand up and walk outside of The Grill so I can hear more clearly.

"Sir, I am sorry to inform you that your wife has been involved in an accident."

My heart sinks to my stomach and I suddenly feel sick as I clutch the phone against my ear. "What? What kind of accident? Is she ok? Tell me she's ok! Tell me!"

"Sir, please calm down."

I don't know what to do, but after trying to get more information and not succeeding, I finally listen to the voice on the other end as she tells me which hospital I need to go too before then being advised to let someone else drive me but I ignore her and hang up the phone and drive straight there, breaking a billion speed laws in the process.

I finally make it and I run as fast as I can through the hallway, my legs feeling like jelly and my hands shaking and time feels like it's travelling so slow. I finally reach a reception desk and slam my hands down to get the receptionists attention.

"I got a call...my wife...she's been in an accident...I...I don't know..." I stutter on words, panic overpowering me.

"Sir I'm going to need a name?" she asks me calmly.

"Elena...Elena Salvatore." I blink, once, twice, unsure if this is actually happening.

"Damon!"

I turn around and see Bonnie stood further down the corridor and I quickly run towards her, ignoring the receptionist asking me to wait.

"Bonnie! Where is she? Where is she?"

She has a gash on her eyebrow, dried tear stains down her cheeks and I note the blood on her hands and I look down at them frantically. "Please tell me..."

"No." she immediately shakes her head at me. "It's not hers."

"What happened, Bonnie? Is she ok? Please tell me she's ok!" I ask her desperately.

Bonnie starts nodding her head furiously and I feel my entire body sink in relief but the tears that start to fall from her eyes make that feeling quickly go away. "Bonnie?"

"Elena's fine, she's just getting checked out by a doctor." she waves her hand over her face. "But..."

"But what?" I ask anxiously.

"Jenna."

"No." I whisper out in shock, my heart sinking into my stomach. "Bonnie..."

"She's dead Damon." a sob falls from her lips at the words and my eyes widen at hearing them out loud. I take a step forward and wrap my arms around her to comfort her the best that I can, my heart pounding painfully against my chest.

This can't be happening.

Jenna can't be dead...she's still young, she's...God she has a family.

Oh no.

Ric.

"Does Ric know?" I ask quietly.

Bonnie shakes her head and pulls away. "No, not yet. I just got in contact with Jeremy like 10 minutes ago, they are on their way but they could be a couple of hours." she runs a hand through hair. "I don't even know what happened, one minute we were driving along and the next..." she starts to cry again and I clench my eye shut because I can't even imagine what is going through her head right now.

"Damon?"

I look over Bonnie's shoulder and see Elena stood there, just like Bonnie she has a gash on her, on her forehead though, as well as a bruise on her chin and I quickly take three giant strides towards her, my arms wrapping around her tightly, one hand tangling into her hair while the other wraps around her waist.

"Jenna...she's...she's." she starts to sob into my chest.

"I know baby, ssh, I know." I run my fingers through her hair soothingly as she shakes against me, her cries getting louder as whats happened sinks in. "I love you, ok?" I pull back and place both my hands on each side of her face. "We'll get through this. I love you."

She nods her head but from the look in her broken dark brown eyes I don't think she believes it.

"Where's Isobel?" I ask after a few moments, just remembering that she was also in the car.

"She's uh getting looked at, she's got a broken arm and concussion, I think the doctor said. She was in the front seat with Jenna." she explains, her voice shaky and distant.

I nod my head and run a hand down her arm, not really knowing what else to do.

The three of us sit down in silence in the waiting area, not really sure what to do, or to say. I can tell that Elena is still in shock, every now and then more tears fall from her eyes but I know that what is happening hasn't fully sunk in yet.

I'm just dreading the moment Ric arrives.

He gets here an hour later.

"Elena! Bonnie!" he runs towards us frantically. "What happened? Are you ok? Where's Jenna?" he looks between all three of us and I take a hold of Elena's hand. "Elena?"

"We need to talk." She glances at him nervously. "Where's Jer?"

"He's coming with the kids...he's...he's right behind me. What's going on, Elena? Jenna is ok, right?" he looks between us and I look down to the floor.

"Bonnie!" I hear Jeremy call out and I look up just in time to see him coming towards us and I realize he has literally been left with all the kids as Alaric rushed in here.

Grace is asleep in his arms, his own three year old daughter Jenny holding his spare hand and I notice the boys and Alice trailing behind him tiredly.

"Let me take the kids." I gulp slightly and head towards Elena's little brother, knowing that they can't be here right now. Not when they are about to find out what they are going too.

I pull Grace from his arms and she squirms slightly before getting comfortable against my shoulder. "Hey, come on, how about we go and get some chocolate or something?" I take Jenny's hand from a confused and scared looking Jeremy.

"Come on." I motion to the other four to follow me and I we walk along the hallway towards the elevator. I take one look behind me before we turn the corner just in time to see Ric break down, Elena wrapping her arms around him as Bonnie does the same with Jeremy and I clench my eyes shut and take a deep breath before continuing to walk away.

As much as I want to be there with them right now, someone needs to make sure that the kids don't have to witness this.

We end up sat in the fairly deserted cafeteria, Grace is now awake but tiredly sitting on my lap, Jenny asleep on my left side, her head resting against my side, Noah sat on my right drinking out of a straw to the chocolate milkshake I got him. Declan, Joey and Alice are sat across the table from us.

"Is my Mom ok?" Alice asks curiously and I gulp slightly because how the hell do I answer that one?

"Everything is going to be fine." I tell her, unsure if that was even the right answer. We fall back into an eerie silence, and I can tell that despite how young they all are, they know that something isn't right.

I sigh and look down at my watch, knowing that it's getting really late now and I can see Noah drifting off from the corner of my eye. I make a stand and walk around the table. "Hold your sister for me for a moment buddy, I'll be right back." I place her down on Declan's lap and he holds onto her tightly as she rests her tired head against his shoulder.

I ruffle his hair for a moment before walking across the cafeteria so I am out of earshot but I can still keep a firm eye on them. I pull out my cellphone and make a call.

"Hello The Mystic Grill, Matt speaking."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Donovan."

"Salvatore?"

"That's right."

"Where did you go? You didn't even finish your bourbon and that is not like you." he teases me slightly and I sigh into the phone. "Damon, everything ok?"

"No." I admit. "Not at all. Look man, I know you're at work but I really need a favor."

"Sure, anything." he replies and I know it's because he can sense the seriousness in my tone.

"I need you to come down to the hospital and take the kids back to my place, and if it'll be alright to watch them for a few hours? Ric and Jeremy's too."

He stays silent for a moment. "Of course. Damon, what is going on? What happened?"

"There was a car accident." I explain. "It's not good man...Jenna...she's...she's gone."

More silence.

"I really need some help here man, I need to be there for Elena but someone needs to watch the kids and I can't do both, they don't really know what's going on yet and I don't know what to say to them. Their tired and confused, they just need a bed to sleep in and we'll try and figure out what to do in the morning."

"Sure. Yeah...um..." I hear the pain and the choke in his voice. "Just give me 10 minutes to get someone to finish up here and I'll be straight over."

"That's great man, thank you so much."

"I'll see you soon." he hangs up and I let out another loud sigh, running my hand down my face before heading back over to the table.

"Daddy?" I look down to see Noah stood in front of me. "Where's Mommy?" he asks tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

I bend down so we're eye level and place both my hands on his shoulders. "She's just busy with your Uncle Ric and Uncle Jeremy right now."

"When are we going home? I'm tired."

"I know buddy, me too." I pick him up into my arms and carry him back towards the table. "How was your trip? Did you guys have fun?" I decide to try and make the conversations light and fun.

Declan nods his head furiously, a smile on his face. "We played soccer, I scored!"

"Me too!" Joey beams happily and I smile back at him, trying to hide the sadness because he has no idea that his entire world is about to change.

God I can't even imagine what I would do if I had lost Elena, if our kids lost their mother. Especially at such a young age. What would I even say to them? How could you explain this to a eleven and nine year old?

"You cheated!" Alice argues immediately.

"No we didn't!" Joey glares at her and I let out a small laugh at the normalcy.

"Mommy!" Noah shouts before jumping from my lap and towards her.

I turn my head just in time to see Elena walking towards us, and I notice her red eyes and her freshly cried out look but she forces a smile as Noah leaps into her arms and she lifts him up onto her hip.

"Hey sweetie, I have missed you!" she kisses him on the cheek before walking around to Declan and kissing him too, pressing a kiss onto the top of Grace's head.

"Momma." she whines tiredly and soon the tears come.

"Hey sssh." she places Noah down to pick Grace up and I watch as our youngest son is about to whine but I immediately hold out my arms for him.

"Noah, come sit with your Dad, come on." I motion for him and he immediately leaps into my arms, settling back on my lap.

"You ok?" I ask her, eyeing her slowly, trying not too give too much away.

She nods her head silently as she continues to tend to our fussing two year old in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

"When are we going home Auntie Elena?" Alice asks curiously.

"I've called Matt, he's going to take them back to our place and stay the night." I explain before she has the chance to answer, I turn to look at Alice who is frowning. "You know Matt, right?"

She nods her head slowly but the frown stays. "Why can't I go to my own house?"

"Because your Dad needs to stay here sweetie." Elena replies softly.

"Why? Is my Mom hurt?" she questions in mid panic and I watch as Joe's eyes immediately widen.

Shit.

"Is she?" he asks quietly, and that is so unlike him.

"Let's not speculate. Everyone is tired, so let's wait for Matt to come and we can all go home and sleep, ok?" I try to say as firm as possible but also sounding delicate.

This is fucking hard stuff.

There was no instructions in the parenting handbook to explain this shit.

"Why wont you tell us what's going on?" Alice raises her voice and I'm reminded that she's just a couple years shy of being a teenager. "Where's my Mom? Tell me where my Mom is!"

Jenny starts to squirm beside me at the raised voices and I watch as Declan looks down at the table in front of him, a sad look on his face and I realize that yeah they may just be kids, but they aren't stupid.

They know that something isn't right.

"Please Alice, not now." I warn her, seeing that Elena's eyes are tearing up as she tries to force all her attention onto Gracie.

"Auntie Elena! Auntie Elena!" Alice stands to her feet. "Where's my Mom! Auntie Elena!"

"Hey, don't shout!" I cut in and glance back at Elena who is still rocking Grace back and forth.

"Why won't you answer me!"

"That's enough, Alice." We all freeze and I turn around to see Alaric stood there. He glances at me and I send him a sympathetic smile and he just simply nods back before turning back to his attention. "Come on, let's go for a walk, you too Joey."

"Ric..." I trail unsure of what to actually say.

"It's ok." he looks me in the eye and I can see the pain, the sadness, the hurt and I swallow the growing lump in my throat.

I watch them leave before turning to face Elena who now has tears running down the cheeks as she stands silently, her back facing away from most of the table so no one else can see. "You want me to take her?" I ask hesitantly.

She just silently shakes her head and I sigh and look down at the table, feeling completely useless right now.

* * *

The next couple of weeks go by in a major blur, we had the funeral and it was awful as to be expected, there were lots of tears, and it was tough to deal with and I just did my best to help Elena through it.

Alice and Joseph have been spending a lot of their time at our house, Ric has been finding comfort in bourbon, so not exactly the best state to be in to watch two kids.

I don't blame him to be honest.

But it's been tough, trying to help them through it, and I know that Elena has been trying her absolute hardest to make things easier for them, but she isn't their Mom, nobody can replace that.

Jeremy hasn't been coping too well either, and with helping him, Ric and looking after two extra kids as well as three of her own, I'm just scared that it's going to be too much. She's trying to be strong, I can see it, hell, everyone can see it, but I just don't know how long this can go on for. She is going to break down at some point, I can feel it coming.

She's getting moodier, and is starting arguments over silly little things. I try to ignore it, remind myself that she's still grieving, but when she overreacted and shouted at Noah for accidentally knocking over and breaking a photo frame of her parents that hung up on the wall, I had to say something.

I slept on the sofa that night.

And the night after.

"Is Mom going to be ok?" Declan asks me one day after I storm out of our bedroom after another one of our many arguments.

Honestly, I couldn't even tell you what it's about.

"I hope so buddy." I tell him honestly, knowing that he is old enough and smart enough to handle the truth. I ruffle some of his hair and press my hand behind his shoulder. "Come on, let's go pick up Noah and Gracie from your Grandma Isobel and then we can go to the park or something."

Honestly, I just want to be out of the house for a while.

I get the three of them ice cream, and I take turns pushing them on the swings, Gracie especially loves it.

"Higher Daddy!" she squeals happily, completely oblivious to the drama and upset that is going on around her.

Elena made a comment the other week about how Grace will probably grow up with no memories of Jenna in her life. I know that hurts her.

After an hour or so, Grace starts to get tired and I buckle her into her stroller before grabbing a soccer ball from the car and we kick it around for a little bit between the three of us.

I send Ric a text, seeing if he wants to meet us with Alice and Joey but he doesn't reply.

It's starting to get late, so I take the kids out for dinner at The Grill before I make the reluctant journey home.

Hopefully Elena has calmed down by now.

I'm not surprised however when I get back to see that her car is not there and she's not home. It's been an occurrence lately, not that I mind, because I know she will be over at Alaric's house tending to the kids.

It's just hard.

And it sucks, it really really fucking sucks.

I put the kids to bed, reading Declan and Noah a bedtime story before I head downstairs and grab a beer. I move the blanket from the couch, and cover my legs as I put an old basketball game on that is repeating on ESPN.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know my eyes flutter open and Elena is sat on the coffee table right in front of me, tears running down her cheeks as she sobs silent.

"Lena." I sit up worriedly.

"I'm sorry." she chokes out between her cries. "I'm so sorry Damon."

"Hey, hey. Sssh, come here." I hold my arms out for her and she climbs into my lap, her head resting against my chest. "You don't need to apologize, ok? Not to me."

"I've been a terrible person."

"No you haven't."

"Yes I have, I've been awful to you and you haven't deserved it."

"You're grieving, I understand, ok? Be as mean to me as you like. I love you, ok? That's never going to change."

"I don't even remember the last time I tucked the boys and Gracie in at night." she sobs again into my shoulder.

"It's ok, their ok." I reassure her, running my hand up and down her back soothingly and press a kiss on top of her head into her soft hair. "Are _you_ ok?" I ask concerned.

She stills for a moment and lets out a shaky breath, leaning back to look at me. "No," she shakes her head. "I'm not ok."

She lets out another deep breath and wipes at her eyes.

"But I'll get better."

* * *

**Yikes! So I killed Jenna off! I know, I'm a terrible person! It's not all fluff I'm afraid.**

**I hope you liked the chapter, review and let me know :) You're all awesome, thanks for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Until next time :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Feel This Moment**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.**

**Damon is 31, Elena is 29, Declan 4, and Noah 8 months. **

* * *

"Are you sick?" Elena bends down and lightly presses her hand against Declan's forehead, brushing some of his soft dark hair out of the way. "Damon! Does he look sick to you? I think he's sick, no he _is_ sick." she bites on her bottom lip nervously while continuing to feel for a temperature. "He should stay home just to be safe."

"Mommy I'm not sick." Declan frowns confused as he pushes her hand away from his head.

"Baby he's fine." Damon chuckles softly as he walks towards them along the hallway, baby Noah resting silently in his arms perfectly content with his pacifier in his mouth, a complete contrast to the screaming baby who woke them, and most likely their neighbors up, at 6am this morning.

She stands up with a worried look on her face as she looks at her husband with panicked eyes. "I don't know Damon...I don't like this." she glances back at Declan who is stood all dressed by the door with his spiderman backpack over his shoulders, ready and waiting to leave. "He's still just a baby, he needs to stay with us."

Damon smiles and goes to reassure her but Declan interrupts. "Are we going yet?" he asks impatiently, clearly not picking up on his mother's distress over the situation. "I don't wanna be late Momma." he tugs on Elena's arm eagerly.

"You see, he wants to go!" Damon tells her reassuringly but she still doesn't think this is a good idea. "Come on, let's get in the car, he's right we're gonna be late if we hang around here for much longer." he smirks at her and she lets out a small pout but he just leans down and gives her a quick kiss on the lips before opening the front door and escorting Declan out to the car, Noah still held comfortably in his arms.

He buckles Noah into his car seat before double checking that Declan has his seatbelt on correctly before he climbs into the front seat where Elena is waiting for him on the passengers side, chewing nervously on her finger nails.

"Babe," he reaches his hand out and touches her thigh while reversing out of the driveway. "He's going to be ok."

"I just don't like the idea of leaving him alone for a few hours with a complete stranger." she frowns.

"It's pre-school, it's not like we are just dropping him off with some random."

"But that's exactly who she'll be Damon, a random! We don't know her from Adam and she doesn't know our son." she argues because she knows she's right. Who would be the people looking after her son? Would he get all the attention he deserves? Would he be protected from bullies if there were any?

"He'll be fine, Elena. He'll love it, and just think he'll make some good friends here. Didn't you meet Caroline in pre-school?"

"Yeah...I guess so." she sighs and fiddles with her fingers as she notices they are getting closer and closer to their destination. Trying to tell herself that this is ok, that Declan will be safe here and that this is good for him and it will make him easier to adjust when he does start school for the first time.

This is the normal, right and sensible thing to do.

Once they pull up into the parking lot of one of the local pre-schools it's Damon who freezes with a frown on his face.

"You know...maybe you're right." she notices his face paling and she raises her eyebrow at him questionably as she notices his tense body.

"Are we here Daddy?" Declan asks excitedly as he looks out of the window. "Is this it?"

"Nope!" Damon replies quickly and goes to restart the engine but she quickly reaches out and stops him, grabbing his wrist before he moved to twist the key.

"Damon!" she almost laughs. "What were you just saying to me? Don't you dare have a freak out now!"

"I'm not freaking out!" he argues immediately but the unusual high pitch to his voice proves otherwise. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't be sensible of us to let him go in there around other kids when he's sick!"

"Daddy I'm not sick!" Declan unbuckles his seat belt. "Can we go in now?" he groans loudly while trying to open the door but being prevented from the child lock.

"Yes sweetie." Elena gives Damon a pointed look before climbing out of the car. She goes and picks Noah up out of his babyseat and balances him on her hip while Damon helps Declan climb out of the car, immediately grabbing his hand tightly.

"Alright, you need to remember that nobody can push you around Dec, so if some punk kid comes and tries to bully you just hit him or something. Show him who's boss."

"Damon!" Elena gasps in disbelief. "You can't say that!" she scolds her husband in disbelief. "Declan baby, you know the rules, you're not allowed to hit anyone."

"But what if-" Damon argues but Elena cuts him off.

"_Anyone_. If someone is mean to you, you go and tell the teacher, ok?"

"Ok Mommy." Declan nods his head in confirmation and she feels a little relief that he at least seemed to have listened to her.

She sends a warning glance in Damon's direction who raises his eyebrows back but before they can get into anything they reach the gates and a middle aged woman approaches them with an overly large smile on her face.

"Hello!" she greets them enthusiastically. "Declan Salvatore, I presume?" she looks down at small boy with his messy dark hair blowing slightly in the light breeze.

"Yes Ma'am." he greets back with a polite smile which always makes Elena beam with pride.

"And you must be Mom and Dad." she looks up at Damon and Elena. "I'm Mrs Stevens, nice to finally meet you." she holds out her hand for them to shake.

"You too." Elena replies politely with a smile of her own, albeit a nervous one and Damon reluctantly follows.

"So is it just you looking after all these kids on your own?" Damon asks getting straight to the point, not even bothering to hide the skepticism from his voice.

"Oh no, I have two other members of staff to help me." she smiles and motions behind her where there are two other women lining up all the children in a line.

"They look a bit young don't they." he frowns, his hand clutching Declan's a little tighter.

"I can assure you Mr Salvatore that all staff here are fully qualified to look after all children with the utmost care."

"We know that." Elena joins in with a small smile. "He's just nervous." she ignores Damon scowling at her from the corner of her eye.

"Ah, is he your eldest?" Mrs Stevens questions with a smile and she nods her head. "I can assure you both that Declan will be fine, won't you sweetie?"

Declan nods his head confidently and Damon sighs loudly and glances to Elena who is starting to pale slightly as they both realize this is it.

Their going to have to leave their baby boy.

Elena curses herself when she feels her eyes start to sting with unshed tears and she lets out a shaky breath while willing herself to stay strong. The last thing she wants is for Declan to see her crying and to think that this is a bad thing.

"Alright buddy, come give me a hug!" Damon crouches down before wrapping his arms around Declan. "Now remember to behave yourself." he pats his shoulder lightly.

"I will Daddy."

"Alright then!" He presses a kiss to his forehead before standing up, turning to face Elena who is discreetly wiping a fallen tear from her cheek. He sends her a reassuring smile, knowing that at least one of them has to put on a brave face. So instead he takes Noah from her arms and lets Elena say goodbye to Declan on her own.

He watches with pure love as Elena bends down and runs her fingers through Declan's hair softly, whispering something in his ear before hugging him and telling him that she loves him. Declan of course replies sweetly that he loves her too and he feels his smile widening, his heart bursting at the sight and he hates himself for being such a sap but he can't help but hold Noah that little bit closer against him.

Elena smiles and reaches for Damon's hand as they both wave goodbye to Declan who is led towards the other children in the playground and they both reluctantly make their way back to the car.

"So..." Damon frowns slightly. "What do we do now?"

Elena glances back at Noah and smiles. "Ice cream in the park?"

"You want to go to the park Noah?" Damon turns around in his seat to face his youngest son. Noah replies with some gurgling nonsense words of his own, his vocabulary only being stretched to 'Mama' 'Dada' 'Yes' and 'Bye' at the moment. "Ice cream in the park it is" he confirms with a grin, his spare hand reaching over to hold Elena's smaller one in his.

* * *

Four ridiculously slow hours later Damon and Elena pull up eagerly and far too early through the gates of the preschool. They both climb out of the car and wait by the doors anxiously, Noah being left looked after by Bonnie while they plan to take out Declan for his dinner to celebrate his first day.

Elena squeezes Damon's hand tightly, almost bone crushing and it reminds him of when she was in labor with both boys, but he understands because he feels just as anxious and nervous as she does right now.

There's something different about leaving your child in school than with your family and close friends.

"He'll be ok." Damon whispers into Elena's ear reassuringly, using his other hand to brush some of her hair back before pressing a slow soft kiss against her lips.

"What if he hated it? What if he spent the whole day upset and wanting to go home and we never came for him?" Elena bites on her bottom lip once he pulled away.

"They would have called." Damon speaks confidently but he knows that the thought has crossed his mind numerous amounts of time throughout the day.

"What if they somehow got the wrong numbers for us? Or...or maybe we lost signal on our cells today and never realized?"

"Elena, you were checking your phone every five minutes, I think we would have noticed." he smiles softly at her, squeezing her hand but he knows that he was doing the exact same thing. He just did a better job of hiding it than she did.

"Yeah...yeah you're right I suppose."

"I'm always right." he smirks and she rolls her eyes with a smile.

"You _think_ you're always right, there's a difference baby." she nudges him with her elbow and he chuckles but it quickly stops when he sees the doors opening and a load of children quickly running out to be greeted by their parents.

It doesn't take long for Declan to come bouncing out, another brown haired boy by his side and Damon feels himself grin as Declan fist bumps the other boy before running towards them.

Elena immediately lets go of his hand and wraps her arms around Declan, standing up so she is carrying him in her arms.

"Oh I missed you!" she peppers kisses all over his face and he chuckles as Declan tries to squirm out of his grasp. "How was it? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah!" Declan grins happily and he feels his entire body sink in relief. "Do I get to go back tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow, but the next day maybe." Damon replies, knowing that Elena is nowhere near ready to let go of her son on a daily basis just yet.

Heck, he knows that he isn't ready either.

"By the way, who was that other kid you were with?" he asks while walking back to the car, Declan still in Elena's protective arms.

"Oh, that's my new best friend, his name is Austin." he explains casually and he notices Elena's smile widen from the corner of his eye.

"So, where do you want to go for dinner?" Damon asks once they are all in the car.

"McDonald's!" Declan shouts full of enthusiasm and Damon knows just how clever his boy is because usually Elena avoids those kind of places but he's sensing that Declan knows just exactly what kind of mood his mother is in.

Elena sighs loudly but smiles anyway. "Ok fine! But just this once!"

Declan smirks a cheeky smirk that Damon notices in the mirror and he chuckles to himself.

"McDonald's it is!"

* * *

**Sorry it's so short! It seems I've lost my muse for this story at the moment.**

**I hope it was still ok though and that it wasn't a major disappointment.**

**Thank you for reading :) Until next time! **


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